| Description |
Đồng Kỵ village festival, also known as the firecracker festival, held from the 3rd to the 7th of January, is a famous festival throughout the country because it maintains its unique traditions.
The most common Festival custom is the firecracker procession. This ceremony seeks to reenact and remember the events of the day that troops were instructed to combat the enemy known as Xích Quỷ by Saint Thiên Cương, the general who was thereafter revered by the villagers as their tutelary god.
On the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year, the worship team performs a naturalization worship ceremony. On the 4th day, the villagers process the Saint: Emperor Thiên Cương, Bà Chính cung (Empress Thuần Nhã), and Concubine (Princess Nguyệt Loan), from the temple (Sinh từ quán) to the communal house to hold the festival. The most prominent is the procession of two "cannon men" around the village. The two "firecrackers" are made from wood, and lacquered with gold, each firecracker is 6m long, 0.6m in diameter, attached with dragon - unicorn - turtle - phoenix symbols and decorative firecrackers around. The procession returns to the communal house, the Saint's palanquin, two "cannons" are placed in the communal house's yard, the internal mandarins and the altar committee perform the ritual. After the 4 Quan Đám đỏ (those who reached the age of 51 in 4 different "Giáp" - symbolizing the 4 generals of the Saint), representing the 4 armors who had just finished the ceremony, were crowned by the boys with their bare bodies and red loincloths. Help carry the palanquin to the communal house yard.
Hundreds of armored men cheered, lifted Mr. Đám up high, and ran around, counterclockwise, in the yard between the communal house, pagoda, and spring tower. The shirtless men are responsible for keeping Mr. Đám from falling while moving around the courtyard. Mr. Đám wears red clothes and a red scarf like a brilliant flower dancing high above.
During the festival, a number of folk games and arts such as Quan Họ singing, wrestling, chess, and cockfighting are participated and cheered by many people. |
