A special celebration of new rice at the end of the year of the Ba Na people in Binh Dinh

(VTC News) - ​In the last days of the year, Ba Na ethnic people in Ha Van Tren village, Canh Thuan commune (Van Canh district, Binh Dinh) are bustling with joy in the New Rice Festival.

(VTC News) - ​In the last days of the year, Ba Na ethnic people in Ha Van Tren village, Canh Thuan commune (Van Canh district, Binh Dinh) are bustling with joy in the New Rice Festival.

New rice festival of Ba Na people in Binh Dinh.

Living for a long time in Van Canh district (Binh Dinh), the Ba Na community formed in the west of Binh Dinh province. Later, they gradually moved to lower areas.

The Ba Na community here preserves a rich and unique culture, in which the New Rice Festival - an agricultural ritual vividly reflects that cultural identity.

For the Ba Na people in Ha Van Tren village or the Ba Na people in other areas, the New Rice Celebration Ceremony is a common festival of the community, held in the communal house, while the Rice Offering Ceremony is held in each family.

Ba Na people make a living from agricultural production, mainly shifting cultivation and often raising poultry and livestock such as buffaloes, cows, goats, pigs and chickens.

The new rice celebration is an opportunity for all villagers to give thanks to the god of rice (Yang Sri). According to their belief, the rice god helped the villagers have a rich and abundant harvest. This is also a major festival with important meaning for the Ba Na people.

These days, Ha Van Tren village echoes with the sound of gongs mixed with the joyful laughter of old people, young children, young men, young women... Ba Na people. This proves that last year, the trade had a good harvest.

Offerings in the New Rice Celebration include 1 pig, 2 chickens and 5kg of green rice grains pounded from new rice, a new rice pot, rice flour, bamboo shoots... and 3 large jars of wine.

The village elders assign each person a task so that the Festival takes place thoroughly. Women tie wine jars, carry water, cook...

Middle-aged men arrange offerings (Cho Dang) to prepare for their village's new rice celebration.

Folk music activities take place enthusiastically during the New Rice Festival, boldly imbuing the cultural identity of the Ba Na people in the western land of Binh Dinh.

Young girls dancing the Xoang dance is a cultural feature of the Ba Na people.

Joining the lively gongs of the New Rice Festival, the villagers drink wine and sing folk songs, then go to each house to visit, wishing them good health so that they can continue to have a good harvest next year.

The oldest living Ba Na people are still in Truong Son - Central Highlands. Like many other ethnic groups, the Ba Na people have rich customs and culture.

Ba Na people have a rustic, simple, gentle and hospitable nature.

There are currently nearly 300 thousand Ba Na people, living widely in the provinces of Gia Lai, Kon Tum, the western region of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and Khanh Hoa.

The Ba Na people have many different names according to the place of residence or customs of each region such as Bo Nam, Roh, Kon Kde, Ala Kong, Kpang Kong... Local groups: Ro Ngao, Ro Long ( or Y Lang), To Lo, Go Lar Krem. Ba Na language belongs to the Mon-Khmer language group (Austrian language family).

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Update day : 01/01/2024