House-cooling ceremony every new year multiplies traditional cultural values in Muong ethnic community

4/4/2023 - 4:26:40 PM

(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./.

3.6 Billion VND Allocated to Preserve Traditional Cultural Values of Ethnic Minorities in Lạc Sơn District

As part of Project 6 under the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2024, Lạc Sơn District, Hoa Binh province focuses on diverse and practical activities to promote the project's goal: "Preserving and promoting the beautiful traditional cultural values of ethnic groups in conjunction with tourism development."

Mobilizing the power to preserve and promote the cultural heritage values

After 3 years of implementing Resolution No. 04-NQ/TU, dated October 11, 2021 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on preserving and promoting the cultural heritage values of Hoa Binh province's ethnic groups in the period of 2021 – 2025 with the orientation to 2030 (NQ04), it has mobilized the participation of the entire political system, the people from all walks of life and there have been positive changes. So far, out of the 10 targets of NQ04, 3 targets have been met and exceeded the plan set for 2025. Typically, 70% of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of ethnic groups in the province is on the list of the national ICH items and they have been protected and restored, exceeding 20% of the proposed Resolution.