Unique Tet of Tay people in Da Bac district

2/5/2024 - 6:52:14 PM

Tan Pheo commune in Da Bac district has been long inhabited by people of several ethnic minority groups such as Tay, Dao and Muong. Each ethnic group has its own culture and unique customs during Tet. For the Tay people, although life has changed a lot, their cultural identity and customs of celebrating the Lunar New Year are still preserved and passed down.

Ha Van Phoi (sitting inside) in Tan Pheo commune (Da Bac) knows and preserves many traditional cultural values of the Tay ethnic group in the locality.

Ha Van Phoi, who knows many traditional cultural features of the Tay ethnic group, shared that the Lunar New Year is the most important and biggest festival in a year of the Tay people. Their custom of welcoming Tet includes two stages: "het khau mo" which means the new rice celebration, and "het set – het chieng" which means the custom of welcoming the Lunar New Year, and is prepared from the last lunar month. The new rice and Lunar New Year celebrations start in the period from the first to the third day of January. The worshiping part usually has two rites: worshiping ancestors and worshiping the Land Genie and those who govern and look after the place where the family lives, with a hope that the ancestors and genies will help protect the family.

On the morning of the first day of the lunar new year, the Tay people have the custom of waking up early and going to the garden to pick the greenest and freshest leaves to bring home with the belief that they will bring lots of fortune and luck in the new year. Going to a neighbour's house, they will wear white to bring luck and ward off bad luck.

The new rice celebration has been preserved to this day. October is the month of rice harvest, families are happy because the hardships of the between-crop months are over. They use new rice to worship their ancestors.

Ha Van Le, Vice Chairman of the Tan Pheo commune People's Committee, said that the Tay ethnic group accounts for 74% of the commune’s population. The Tay people have many unique cultural features such as their own language and writing, customs and practices during holidays, Tet, weddings and funerals. Their costumes and houses are also made in their own style.

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.