New rice celebration of the Muong ethnic group, Hoa Binh province

The New Rice Celebration ceremony of the Muong people in Hoa Binh is usually held after the harvest season, around the 10th lunar month, at this time families organize or invite the Master to perform the ceremony to give thanks to heaven, earth, and gods. , our ancestors have blessed us with good weather, lush trees, and the Muong people have a prosperous and fulfilling life.

When the rice season comes, the head of the family chooses an auspicious day to visit the fields, pluck seven or nine beautiful sticky rice flowers symbolizing the seven or nine rice stalks in his field, braid them into a small bundle and hang it at the top of a pole in the house. next to the ancestral altar. After this ritual, people can go to the fields to harvest rice. After the harvest season, people hold a ceremony to offer new rice. The offering tray must be complete, including: young rice, grilled fish, pork and two mandatory main dishes: young rice and grilled fish.

Since ancient times, this ceremony is mainly a part of the ceremony (ritual, method, ritual display) for the shaman, shaman or staff to carry out worship procedures according to traditional customs. The festival is almost a blur, mainly relatives and villagers come to play (because it is organized by each family), they bring gongs and a flute band to come together to make amulets and have fun for a day. , usually ending in the evening. In folk culture, they just call it "Eating new rice" or the celebration of new rice. They don't call it a "festival" but a festival within the ceremony.

The new rice celebration takes place in the Muong ethnic village space, the Vietnamese Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village is prepared with the most delicious and beautiful dishes to worship heaven and earth, invite ancestors, and thank the gods for Bringing a prosperous harvest to the family and village, praying for the ethnic groups to prosper, live peacefully, have good luck and happiness, and eliminate bad things according to the customs and spirituality of the Muong people. .

The ancient Muong people, after harvesting the harvest, families would prepare a celebration of new rice months in advance, including: New sticky rice, new sticky rice, Troong leaves (colored leaves), new wine (cooked with new sticky rice), chicken, duck, fish, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, spices, betel and areca nuts, preparing bamboo and bamboo weaving trays and trays for offerings, other types of work such as can wine, weaving chrysanthemums, dan kha,... All the above work is enough for 4 offering trays (offerings must be complete before holding the worship ceremony). A tray full of rituals for the God of Earth Cong - native land - local, Lady Thac Bo and other gods. A tray for the ancestors, tutelary god, Uncle Ho.

The content of the shaman's prayer is with the meaning: rice is the essence of heaven and earth, a product that feeds people, and today the descendants bring the tastiest and most beautiful things to offer to heaven and earth, invite ancestors, and thank them. God brought a prosperous harvest to the family and village. Pray for ancestors and gods to bless the next crop with good weather and rain.

The new rice celebration is a beauty in the culture of the Muong people because it demonstrates the tradition of remembering the source when drinking water, being respectful to ancestors, grandparents, parents, and expressing family affection and love for neighbors. strong bond.

After the offerings, family members gather together to enjoy the fruits of their labor. During the meal to celebrate the new rice, there are often full of grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren gathered happily, neighbors can also come to celebrate, they give each other nice words and thoughts, encouraging each other to try their best during the seasons. next case. Finally, when the rituals have been completed, the families choose a few bundles of good rice seeds to put in the kitchen to preserve the rice with full of hope that a new bountiful harvest awaits.