(HBO) - The house-cooling ceremony is one of the traditional spiritual and cultural rituals of the Muong people in Hoa Binh province. Its purpose is to pray for good crops, good health, good luck, and repel bad luck and risks. Therefore, most families in the Muong community organise the ritual at the beginning of the year to pray for peace. By cutting down unsound customs, the house-cooling ceremony has become a typical cultural feature and an indispensable activity in many Muong families every spring.
The house-cooling ceremony of the Muong ethnic group
in Hoa Binh recreated and performed at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic
Culture and Tourism (Dong Mo, Son Tay, Hanoi).
Having spent time researching and reacting the ceremony at
the Cultural Village, Meritorious Artisan Bui Thanh Binh, Director of the Muong
Cultural Heritage Museum in Hoa Binh city, shared that the original meaning of
the word "mat nha" in the Muong language is to cool the family down,
make family members healthy and peaceful, and drive back bad things and bad luck.
Therefore, Muong people often hold the ritual on the first days of the year or
when someone in their home is sick or experiences bad luck.
In the past, the ceremony was arranged quite expensively, as
shamans requested house owners to prepare up to 11 trays, including nine big
and two small trays. The big trays were offered to the local tutelary, and god
of the soil.
In addition, homeowners had to prepare a
"community" tray with all kinds of dishes placed near the main door.
The Muong people believe that bad things happen because of ghosts. Therefore,
when the house held a feast to offer to the gods, they did not forget to offer
sacrifices to sentient beings. As the tray was placed at the main door, the
hungry ghosts were invited by the shaman to eat the dishes. After that, the
shaman made spells so that evil spirits did not return to disturb the
householder.
At present, implementing a civilised lifestyle during
festivals under the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism,
and in order to preserve and promote the typical culture of the Muong ethnic
group, the house-cooling ceremony has been simplified. There need three-five
trays of offerings for gods and ancestors, and one for sentient beings./.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.
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