(HBO) – Com De Festival is a traditional event of the Muong community in Muong Ram area, Lac Thinh commune of Yen Thuy district. It is held on the 26th day of the 10th lunar month each year (which fell on December 2 this year).
Muong Ram people celebrate three main festivals every year,
namely the Lunar New Year Festival, the National Day Festival (September 2),
and the Com De Festival. The last one is organised as big as the Lunar New Year
Festival – the most important traditional festival of Vietnam.
To mark the Com De Festival, which is unique in
that it is celebrated only in Lac Thinh commune, all Muong Ram people –
regardless of where they live or work – always try to spare time to return to
their hometown.
Food trays offering to the ancestors always
include a boiled papaya, steamed luffa, boiled or steamed fresh bamboo shoots,
and grinded roasted sesame without salt or any other spices. Particularly, "com
de” (steamed glutinous rice fermented in wild leaves) is the most important
offering.
At present, thanks to better living conditions,
people also offer meat aside from vegetarian food to their ancestors.
Locals perform the festival’s rituals on the
afternoon of the 25th day of the 10th lunar month or the early morning of the
following day because they believe the early morning is the most sacred time.
The offering trays are placed in the middle and
in front of the house. The family head can invite a shaman or say prayers by
themselves to wish for good weather, bumper crops and health. After that, all
family members gather and enjoy the food. Their relatives and friends also come
to share the joy and wish for good luck and health.
The Com De Festival has become a cultural
identity of Muong Ram people. At present, when their lives have been improved,
locals attach even greater importance to this event and consider this a proud
cultural practice./.
Gongs hold a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. More than musical instruments, they are an indispensable part of community rituals and collective memory, echoing through generations as a spiritual thread linking the past, present, and future.
Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group has become an urgent task in the current context, as many traditional values face the risk of fading away. This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.
The Muong ethnic culture, deeply rooted in Vietnam’s mountainous north, continues to be preserved and revitalised by dedicated individuals and communities determined to safeguard their ancestral identity.
The Muong group is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Vietnam, primarily found in Hoa Binh province. The Muong people in Hoa Binh boast a rich and diverse cultural treasure that reflects the unique identity of this ethnic group. Accounting for over 63% of the province's population, they have created and preserved numerous distinctive cultural values, contributing to their unique identity. Their cultural heritage is an invaluable asset, at the heart of their national identity, and represents a vibrant spiritual life that must be preserved and promoted in today’s modern world.
For generations, the ethnic communities of Hoa Binh province, particularly the Muong people, have preserved vibrant festivals deeply intertwined with the region’s geography, nature, and social traditions. These celebrations enrich Hoa Binh’s spiritual life and cultural identity, reflecting both folk beliefs and the intermingling of ethnic customs. Many of these festivals have endured the test of time, passed down through generations and continuing to thrive today. Among them, the Khai Ha (Going Down to the Field) festival stands out as one of the most significant events of the Muong ethnic group.
Muong calendar, known as sach doi, is an ancient folk knowledge system developed through observations of the movement of the pleiades star. This unique calendar consists of 12 bamboo sticks, each representing a lunar month. Specific days within each month are marked with distinct symbols, guiding locals in determining auspicious and inauspicious days for important activities.
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