Nhan Dan – Most Tay ethnic minority people live in Viet Bac whose traditional customs and habits resemble the Kinh people’s. When the Lunar New Year (Tet) comes, they make ‘Banh chung’ – glutinous rice cake in round shape which is filled with green bean and pork, also called ‘banh tet’.

They also make glutinous rice cake filled with green bean and honey to make offerings to the Buddha. On the New Year occasion, everyone put on their most beautiful costumes. When it was still not forbidden by the law to set off firecrackers, Tay people once held competitions to set off firecrackers. They also organise many games on Tet holiday such as: swinging, con throwing, luon singing and others.

On December 30 (according to the Lunar calendar) Tay people collect production tools such as: plough, rake, sickle, shears, cleaver and others to hold a ritual for them to have a Tet holiday. According to the old custom, on the third day of the New Year, every Tay’s household must have a tray of food, of which there are two con balls. They take the tray outdoors and offer to Heaven and Earth. After praying, people start to join con throwing. People toss green and red con balls high into the air through a bamboo ring which hangs on a tall bamboo tree. Everyone competes to catch them. People who catch a con will have a chance to find their partner. After the festival, if they feel attached and love each other, they can talk to their parents to start engagement.

Xoe dance of the Thai people

The Thai ethnic minority people live in Tay Bac and the North of provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. To celebrate Tet, Thai people prepare pork, chicken, banh chung and banh tet. Of which two specialties can not be missed are roast chicken (cay pinh) and steamed chicken (cay mo). These delicious dishes are often prepared for special events such as Tet holiday, wedding and guest welcome. Before the New Year’s Eve all family’s members take a bath and put on their most beautiful costumes. On the New Year’s Eve, the host and their descendents gather in front of the ancestor altar and pray for a good new year. Xoe dance is a unique cultural character of Thai people which is often performed on Tet holiday. On Tet, gongs and drums are always available at the house of the head of the village. Villagers come to his house to beat the drum, sound the gong, sing and dance together.

The most beautiful xoe dances are performed by young girls which draw the attention of almost everyone. Exciting dance music inspires everybody to join xoe dancing to welcome the New Year.

Duet singing of the Mong people

On the New Year’s Eve, Mong families all kill a chicken to make offerings to their ancestors. On the first day of the New Year, family’s members gather together around the fire and avoid going out. When the second day of the New Year comes, families continue to offer their ancestors with boiled chicken. This is also the time for Mong people to go out and visit their neighbours. According to the local custom, on the third day of the New Year, Mong people just hang around their living areas and then come back home.

As from the fourth day of the New Year, Mong people start their far away visits. When the night falls, young people gather together to perform duet singing. Duet singing is a repartee in the form of singing between a male and a female, in which they sing and share a song together. Their repartees rhyme well that makes the song sound like a poem. Thanks to duet singing, many Mong people become husbands and wives.

Regarding food for Tet, normally each household kills a pig for Tet holiday. Pork is sliced into long big pieces and soaked in brine for several hours, then they are shelved in strings on the smoking-shelf for the days after Tet.

By THE TRUONG