ALL
worships
ICH Elements 13
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Practices of Then by Tày, Nùng and Thái ethnic groups in Viet Nam
Then a ritual practice indispensable in Tày, Nùng and Thái ethnic groups' spiritual life, reflects concepts about human beings, natural world and the universe (the Earth realm, the 3-layer Heaven realm). Then ceremonies describe a journey in which Then Master (Male/Female) controls ghost soldiers travelling from the Earth realm to the Heaven realm, the residing place of the gods, to offer worshipping items and show their praying requests for peace, bad luck relief, illness treatment, good crops, new house inauguration, initiation/title-conferring ritual (cấp sắc), blessings and happy new year. Then Masters start the journey by singing and plucking the tính lute (two or three-string lute). Depending on worshipping purposes, Then Masters will arrange worshipping trays to pray different native Gods, among whom Ngoc Hoang is the highest God. Then Masters often use a summoning tablet, a seal, a demon-expelling sword, a yin and yang rod, a bell, a fan and items such as pork, chicken, wine, rice, fruits and votive papers to perform Then ceremonies in the believer’s house, outdoor or at Then altar of the Master’s house. While practising, Then Master wears ceremonial dress, sings the language of his ethnic group and plays the tính lute, shakes the chùm xóc nhạc (rattle-bells), waves a fan. In some ceremonies, a female dancing group will accompany. Then rituals performances express Tày, Nùng and Thái’s cultural identities, from customs to musical instruments, dance and music. Then is always transmitted orally while its rituals are being conducted, reflecting the succession between generations.
Viet Nam 2019 -
Sada Shin Noh, sacred dancing at Sada shrine, Shimane
‘Sada Shin Noh’ is a performing art expressed by the people’s dance-like movements to musical instruments such as drums to re-enact the power of the deity with which the people are blessed. It is always performed on September 24th and 25th every year on a special stage, called Gakuden, constructed within the precincts of the Sada Shrine which is the tutelary presence of the community. During these two days at Sada Shrine, people replace the rush mats, called Goza, with new mats on which the deities seat themselves. The replacement re-enacts the deities’ power. During the performance of ‘Sada Shin Noh’, a ritual dancer performs with Goza in his hand. The Goza are purified by this dance. People consider that ‘Sada Shin Noh’ is indispensable to the re-enactment of the deities’ power. ‘Sada Shin Noh’ is also performed at other neighbouring shrines, whenever requested. The repertoire, choreography and music in ‘Sada Shin Noh’ are traditionally fixed. ‘Sada Shin Noh’ is accompanied by flute music, three types of drums and singing. The players sit down around the stage, and the dancers perform at the centre of the stage. The repertoire performed in this performing art is classified into three categories. The first seven numbers belong to Category I. The performers do not wear masks, and perform the ritual dances with swords, holy wooden sticks, and bells in hand, depending on the number. In the ritual dance, Gozamai, the dancers perform with the rush mats for the deities in their hands in order to purify them before serving them to the deities. Category II has the three ritual dances performed with a mask of an old man. It is said that these dances were performed in Kyoto in the early seventeenth century. Category III has twelve numbers called Shin Noh which are performed with a mask of a deity. Japanese myths are depicted through these dances. This composition of dances is a typical example of Japanese performing arts. However, the main feature of ‘Sada Shin Noh’ is the dance of purification of the deities’ seats. People believe that ‘Sada Shin Noh’ should be regularly performed in order to re-enact the power of the tutelary deities in the community. ‘Sada Shin Noh’ is natural and nothing special in the daily lives of the people around Sada Shrine who share the worship. ‘Sada Shin Noh’ is an interaction between people and the deities that supports and guarantees a rich and peaceful future for the people, their families, and the community, making the social and cultural functions of “Sada Shin Noh” significant. The people who worship Sada Shrine as a tutelary presence are eager to transmit ‘Sada Shin Noh’ to the future. They have practiced diligently to acquire the skills needed for their performances, and have been publicly approved by the people of the community. Those who are in charge of the transmission of ‘Sada Shin Noh’ are first, the members of the Association for the Preservation of Sada Shin Noh. They are ordinary citizens engaged in respective jobs, but they practice regularly and have acquired the traditional performance formula. They bear a direct responsibility to perform it in a traditional style in public. Second are Shinto priests, who maintain the Sada Shrine. They have the responsibility of offering the opportunity and place for the public performance of ‘Sada Shin Noh’. Third are people inside and outside the community, who consider it necessary to continue transmitting ‘Sada Shin Noh’ to the future. They appreciate the public performances of ‘Sada Shin Noh’, and make financial contributions to the Shrine and the Association from time to time. The people of the community have long regarded ‘Sada Shin Noh’ as an important performing art. Designated as Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the National Government in 1976, it has been widely recognized in Japan as an important element of the Japanese cultural heritage that indicates the transition of the Japanese lifestyle. The transmitting group and community consider ‘Sada Shin Noh’ as one of their own distinctive cultures of which they are proud. By transmitting and performing it in public, it offers them an opportunity to renew a sense of identity with the community and society, thus contributing to its continuity.
Japan 2011 -
Xoan singing of Phú Thọ province, Viet Nam
As a form of performing arts, Xoan singing includes singing, dancing, drumming and clapper beating. It is closely attached to the Worship of the Hùng Kings, founders of the country. Phú Thọ people created Xoan singing and performed it at the village communal houses, temples and shrines worshipping the Hùng Kings in springs. “Xoan” means “spring”. Bearers and practitioners form four guilds, in which the male and female Trum play the most important role; they preserve the songs, select students, transmit the singing styles and repertoires and organize practices. They are also active in introducing and teaching Xoan singing at the four Xoan guilds, and in clubs and guilds. A full Xoan performance cycle includes 3 phases: Worship singing (Hát thờ) with songs praising the virtues of the Hùng Kings and the village guardian deities; Invocation for good health and fortune (Quả cách) with 14 repertoires praising nature, humankind, and the daily life of the community; Festive singing (hát Hội) with songs featuring the couple love. The special characteristic of Xoan is the modulation between singers and instrumentalists at the perfect fourth interval, and it has a simple structure with few ornamental notes. Xoan dance's movements have a sense of imitativeness, illustrating people's daily life activities. After singing at their communal houses from the 2nd - 5th day of the Lunar New Year, the Xoan guilds travel to other communities venerating Hùng Kings to take part in convivial cultural exchanges. Xoan practitioners are organized into music guilds called Phường. The Leader of each guild is called “Trùm”. In the past, only men could be “Trùm”, but nowadays women could also be leaders. The Leaders are in charge of transmission and organization of activities of the guilds. At present, each guild comprises of 30 - 100 members. Men are called “kép”, women are “đào”. As a community performing art, Xoan singing fosters cultural understanding, community cohesion and mutual respect. The Vietnamese Institute for Musicology has collected 31 Xoan songs, and thanks to the efforts of several Xoan artists four guilds have been established. 33 dedicated clubs also exist, and seminars are held to expand knowledge of Xoan.
Viet Nam 2017 -
Khoi kìm Forest Worship Ritual of the Red Yao
The forest worshiping ceremony of the Red Yao people is held on the 2nd day of the second lunar month every year. This is a traditional ceremony with the participation of all people in the village after they have finished planting the crop. The master of ceremonies is the main shaman and 3 assistant shamans and assistants. Early in the morning of the 2nd day, priests and representatives of households bring offerings, necessary items, firewood, and fire to the sacred forest to perform the ceremony. Everyone cleans up the place where the worship ceremony is held. After that, the priests burned incense, offered offerings, and invited the forest god and other gods to receive the offerings. Offerings include 2 black pigs (each weighing about 30 kg), 3 roosters, wine (poured into five cups), incense, and paper. The worshiping ceremony is performed twice: raw worshiping and cooked worshiping. Before worshiping, the main shaman blows the conch and takes offering books to perform the rituals. The purpose of these rituals is to worship the gods, land gods, tree gods, mountain gods, stream gods, and forest gods, praying for people to be healthy, peaceful, and lush crops, for domestic animals to grow quickly. After the worshiping ceremony, all participants will receive blessings on the spot. All regulations on the protection of forbidden forests in particular and forest protection in general are announced to everyone by the shaman and village head so that they can clearly understand and convey to family members such as not being allowed to cut down trees or build trees. housing, hunting... in forbidden forests, we must be conscious of planting trees, preventing forest fires, and developing the forest economy. The humane meaning of the festival is to help educate the community about love for nature, respect, and preservation of their own living environment.
Viet Nam -
Quỹa Hiéng Festival of the Red Yao
The Red Yao people call the year-end ceremony Quý Héng ceremony. This is the biggest ceremony of the year, taking place from December 23 - 24 to January 5. On the beautiful morning before New Year's Eve, the homeowner sets up an altar consisting of 3 altars - Bứa Héng (ancestor altar); Sáng Chà phin (altar to worship the gods and ghosts of the ancestors of the shaman profession); Sám Háng (altar to worship sentient beings). Each ceremony is led by a priest. The offerings at each herd are different: Bứa Héng - a boiled chicken with the entrails removed, 5 cups of wine, ban paper, two incense sticks, a bowl of rice wrapped in a piece of cloth, a silver ring placed on a piece of cloth; Sáng Chà phin - a boiled chicken, a cup of mineral water, 5 cups of wine, 3 bowls of rice with a silver ring on top; Sám Háng - 5 cups of water, 5 cups of wine, 5 cups of rice with a pair of bamboo chopsticks placed on top, a boiled chicken, incense, candles. Ritual of getting water at the beginning of the year: after New Year's Eve, the homeowner prepares a packet of salt, and a cup of water and departs in a certain direction. Going to the water source, after praying, they put a packet of salt there and then took a cup of water and brought it to the ancestral temple. The fire dancing ritual takes place in each family, from the 2nd to the 5th of January. During the ceremony, firewood is burned, and the priest prays and worships the gods. All village boys participating in fire dancing sit and worship from the beginning of the ceremony, on chairs around the fire. When the firewood burned down into a pile of glowing embers, each couple jumped in, barefoot, jumped up, and rolled over the pile of embers.
Viet Nam -
Nàng Hai Moon Praying Festival of the Tày Ngạn
The Nàng Hai Festival, also known as the Moon Praying Festival, begins in January and lasts until mid-March with the symbolic meaning of mothers and fairies on earth going to heaven to welcome Mother Moon and fairies down to earth. The Ngan ethnic group believes that on the Moon there is Mother Moon and 12 fairies, her daughters, who always take care of and protect the crops of all people. They choose a mother to be Mother Moon, and the girls play the role of fairies, including two unmarried girls who play the two moon sisters. The characters all wear traditional costumes according to regulations. They set up a "moon tent" as a place for Mother Moon and the fairies to sit during the ceremony. Before the ceremony, the people playing the role of Mother Moon (Mụ Cốc) and the girls stand in front of the altar so that Mr. Tào can perform the transformation ceremony for the souls of Mother Moon and the fairies to enter. From then on, they must abstain according to regulations. The ceremony is held on a large field with the rituals of "worshiping the local land princess" at the communal temple to ask permission for the villagers to organize the Moon-praying festival the following night. According to tradition, the ritual of carrying offerings from Thanh An communal house to the outdoor altar is a very important part to invite the gods to witness. The procession consists of 8 young people carrying the palanquin, including 4 men and 4 women, led by the shaman and the dancers, followed by trays of offerings including a pig's head, 4 pig's feet, chicken, duck, wine, cakes, and five-color dyed sticky rice. The shaman worships the local land goddess and the gods, the artists perform the rituals of dancing around the altar when the Moon-welcoming festival opens. After completing the ritual of reporting to Mother Moon and the 12 fairies, the village elder performs the rituals of praying for blessings, good luck, favorable weather, good crops; inviting Mother Moon and the fairies to bring crops and blessings to the villagers. The ceremony lasts for twelve nights. Each night, a Mother is invited. After that, they held a ceremony to send the moon ladies back to heaven. As for the festival, the shaman blew the trumpet and opened the festival. Villagers and commune residents participated in traditional sports activities such as: men's and women's volleyball; blindfolded duck catching; and pond fishing. In addition, the festival featured performances of folk songs, then singing, coi singing, folk games, and traditional cuisine of the Ngan ethnic group such as bamboo-tube rice, wild vegetable dishes, pork fish sauce, field carp fish sauce, salted plums, five-color sticky rice, pickled bamboo shoots, black plums dipped in sesame salt. This is a unique folk festival imbued with spiritual colors, with a positive and highly educational nature in the Ngan community. With its unique cultural values, the Ngan ethnic group's Moon Praying Festival was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018.
Viet Nam -
Dharshing Charni: Hoisting Prayer Flags
Another very popular activity of the Bhutanese is the Dharchar-ni' hoisting of prayer flags with scripts printed on them. That is why beautiful places, mountains, hilltops, treetops, cliff tops, riverside are festooned with multi-coloured prayer flags. In general, prayer flags are hoisted for the benefit of sentient beings, both living and dead, to boost one’s positive energy or luck and to help liberate the souls of our loved ones. There are huge flags called lhadar in front of dzongs, each with a gyetshen (victory banner) on top. There are also flags without scripts printed on them, such as a small white flag called darchung on the rooftop of one’s house and lhadar near one’s house that has just the print of four legendary animals on it. A lhadar with the printed images of the four legendary animals (tiger, snow lion, garuda, and dragon) is also hoisted in front of temples and dzongs. The darchung on rooftops are placed during the annual religious rituals performed by the household, and hoisted in honour of the deities that the household worships. The lhadar showing the images of the four legendary animals is a sign that the temple and dzong contains scriptures like the Three Pitakas (sutra, vinaya and abhidharma). If the temples have sertog (golden pinnacles) on the roof, the victory banner pinnacle is permitted at the tip of the lhadar. The prayer flags come in five different colours: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. The colour of the flag is determined based on the individual’s birth sign represented by the five elements of the twelve year cycle — white for metal, yellow for earth, red for fire, green for wood, and blue for water. The plain flags representing all the five colours hoisted on both sides of the path or road and around houses, or temples or pitched tents, signify important functions, celebrations of happy occasions and reception of dignitaries. They do not have any religious significance. In order to install flagpoles, tall and straight young trees are selected, preferably from coniferous trees that are sometimes called lhashing (tree of the higher beings). Where lhashing is not available, other trees may be substituted, provided they are straight and meet the required height. After felling of the selected tree, bark, branches and knots are completely removed. Sherab reldri(wisdom sword) and khorlo (wheel) made of wood are affixed at the tip of the pole. The base of the reldri is shaped as crescent moon and sun and painted likewise, while the sword is painted bluish in the middle and reddish on the side to represent the sharp blade that destroys ignorance. A curved red line goes upward in the middle of the reldri to signify fire to boost the power of the blade. Lotus petals are painted on the part immediately below the moon to signify the purity of the base of the wisdom sword. In rural villages where these elaborate preparations are not possible, the leafy tops of the branches are used as substitute for reldri and khorlo. The reldri represents Manjushri, the wisdom deity; while the flag represents Avalokiteshvara, the deity of compassion; and the pole represents Vajrapani, the deity of power. Once a flagpole has been selected, it is considered unvirtuous for humans to walk over it, and therefore it should be kept with its tip on a higher ground. The texts and images are printed on cotton cloth from xylographs available in temples and monasteries and with certain private individuals. In the old days, ink was prepared from soot mixed with water and very old singchang (juice of fermented grains) to give the required thickness and strength. The ink is spread over the printing block and the cotton cloth is stretched over the block, and rubbed over gently using a broad leaf. The print will appear on the cotton cloth. The manual printing is repeated until the desired length is achieved. The printed cloth is then attached to the pole with strands of bamboo, leaving a gap of 30 cm below the khorlo and about a metre above the ground. Mantras are printed left to right across the width of the cloth and generally, while attaching the long strip of cloth to the flagpole, it is positioned so that the edge where the mantra begins flutters freely in the air, and the edge where the mantra ends is fixed down the length of the pole. The flags commonly carry mantras of Avalokiteshvara (mani), Guru Padmasambhava (vajra guru), Manjushri, Vajrapani, Tara, Vajrasattva, Buddha Amitayus, Lungta (windhorse) and Gyetshen tsemoi pung-gyen (victory banner sutra). Finally, the flagpole is firmly fixed in the ground and then a consecration ceremony is held. In most cases, high ridges and hilltops are considered ideal locations for prayer flags, because these sites provide plenty of the wind that is needed to flutter the mantra. Besides, hilltops give panoramic view of all the places below, and hence help to reach out the blessings of the prayers to all sentient beings.
Bhutan -
Bơi Đăm Boat Race Festival
Bơi Đăm Boat Race Festival (Boat Racing Festival) has existed since ancient times, taking place from the 9th to the 11th of the third lunar month, an activity that depicts the use of the navy to repel the invaders of General Dao Truong during the reign of King Hung (Hung Due Vuong). The Bơi Đăm Boat Race Festival is associated with the communal house festival and the relics including: Tay Dam Temple, Dam Communal House and Trung Tuu Communal House in Tay Tuu Ward (Bac Tu Liem District, Hanoi City). Tay Tuu used to be Dam Village (Ke Dam) with three hamlets: Thuong, Trung and Ha. Tay Dam Temple in the Upper region worships Bach Hac Tam Giang - the person who contributed to repelling foreign invaders to protect Van Lang country during the reign of King Hung. After a period of interruption, in 1994, the traditional Dam Boating Festival was re-organized. The Bơi Đăm Boat Race Festival is held every five years, on even years. The special and unique feature of the traditional Dam swimming festival is the procession of the Saint on land and by water. The festival takes place at a branch of the Nhue River, also known as the Thuy Giang River (Pheo River), which is nearly 1km long and about a hundred meters wide. The racing teams come from local villages. The festival has 6 participating boats, numbered equally among 3 villages. The Thuong village boat has a Crane head, numbered 1 and 4; the Trung village boat has a Dragon head, numbered 2 and 5; the Ha village boat has a Ly head, numbered 3 and 6. Each boat has 25 people participating, including: 01 driver, 01 assistant driver, 10 sailors, 01 gong player, 01 flag waver, 01 water bailer and 18 swimmers. In addition, there is a 7th boat - the Quan boat, whose job is to supervise the race. The race is conducted over 6 laps on the 10th and 11th. The starting point is from the front of the communal house to the temple, about 1km away. Before entering the official race, at the drum signal, the boats take turns sending people to the boat to perform the Saint's ceremony - an indispensable ritual. After completing the rituals, the referee uses flags and loudspeakers to guide the teams to position their boats in order, lining up evenly at the starting point. The boats of the 3 regions are arranged alternately, ready to wait for orders. When the referee's command flag is waved down, the boats begin to swim. On each racing boat, there are people beating the gong and shouting to give more strength to the rowers. In a ready position, the boats simultaneously rush forward, under the command of the Head of the Department. The gong and command sounds in harmony with the unison shouts... creating a bustling, exciting atmosphere like entering a fierce naval battle. The swimming teams put all their strength into the steering wheel and oars, the boats raced like shuttles. On both sides of the Nhue River, crowds of spectators and tourists gathered to witness the rowing competition during the Dam rowing festival. The drums sounded like thunder, continuously, adding strength to cheer and encourage the racing teams. At the end of the competition, the boat with the most first-place finishes received the first prize, the boat with the most second-place finishes received the second prize. The two village boats with the most first-place finishes won the first-place team prize, the two village boats with the most second-place finishes won the second-place team prize. The winning boat also had the honor of carrying the Saint's throne to the Upper Temple, because according to ancient customs, "The Saint walks on foot - returns by water". Therefore, the two boats that won the highest prize will be able to carry the Saint to his palace on the 11th day of the third lunar month. After the boat race, the villagers held a thanksgiving ceremony and then carried the Saint down the boat to his Temple. Bơi Đăm Boat Race Festival is a very ancient ritual, protected and maintained by villagers from generation to generation. Bơi Đăm Village Boat Racing Festival (Tay Tuu) contributes to promoting and strengthening community solidarity, has educational significance towards the origin, and is also a form of physical exercise for local people. Bơi Đăm Swimming is both fun, beautiful, attractive and unique. This is also a traditional cultural sport that competes in intelligence and talent, deserving the top position in traditional festivals throughout the region. With such typical values, in 2018, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the traditional Bơi Đăm Boat Race Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Viet Nam -
Trường Bà Temple Festival
Truong Ba Temple is located on a fairly flat piece of land in Tra Xuan town, about 1km from the center of Tra Bong district. Truong Ba Temple is a religious and spiritual establishment established by the Vietnamese and Chinese, becoming a pilgrimage site for the Cham, Kinh, Hoa, Cor and other ethnic groups. In addition to worshiping the Holy Mother Thien Y A Na, Truong Ba Temple also worships two human gods, Bùi Tá Hán và Mai Đình Dõng, two human gods who have contributed to the development, stability and pacification of the mountainous region in the West of Quang Ngai. In 2014, Truong Ba Temple was recognized as a National Historical Relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The lopsided banyan tree in front of the temple is recognized as a heritage tree. Truong Ba Temple Festival is an annual festival held at Truong Ba Temple in Tra Xuan town - Tra Bong Quang Ngai to pay tribute to the Holy Mother Thien Y A Na and other gods who have contributed to the development and protection of this land. The festival is held from April 15 to 16 of the lunar calendar. The ceremonial committee of about 17 to 21 people is carefully selected to perform many rituals: the procession of the royal decree, the bathing ceremony, the offering ceremony at the outer altar, the main hall ceremony, the flower lantern ceremony, the buffalo eating ceremony of the Co people, the incense offering ceremony... The festival features unique folk cultural activities such as: singing, lion and dragon dance, singing Ba Trao, Bai Choi, Cà Đáo dance, gong performance of the Co people... The festival demonstrates solidarity and the strong cultural exchange between the ethnic groups living in the area: Cham, Hoa, Cor, Kinh. Through the festival, local people and tourists will have a deeper understanding of the meaning of Dien Truong Ba as well as the cultural characteristics, people, and land here. In 2017, Dien Truong Ba Festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Dien Truong Ba Festival is a unique cultural highlight of Tra Bong highland district, which has been opening up a direction for tourism and service development in the locality.
Viet Nam -
Keo Pagoda Festival
Keo Pagoda is a pagoda that worships Buddha first, then Saint (worshiping Zen master Khong Lo). Keo Pagoda Festival is held in two periods: Spring Festival (on the 4th day of Lunar New Year) and Autumn Festival (from the 13th to the 15th day of the 9th lunar month). The most special feature of the festival is "Trải Race", a race held from the pagoda area to both banks of the Red River, about 5 kilometers long. In addition to money and rice, the swimmers of the 8 hamlets are rewarded with wine and cakes from the village girls who marry far away. At the end of the festival, there is also a Chau Thanh ritual, a special ritual only found at Keo Pagoda Festival. Chầu Thánh dance is an ancient dance performed by rowing and frog dancing. The festival shows respect and remembers the merits of Saint Không Lộ, the guardian deity of the village and the ancestors of the village and commune. Through these ceremonies, the villagers pray for the protection and protection of bountiful crops, a prosperous life, and prosperity.
Viet Nam -
Hát Môn Temple Festival
Hát Môn Temple worships Hai Bà Trưng, two female generals who rose up to destroy the invading Eastern Han army in 40 AD. The Hát Môn Temple Festival is held from the 4th to the 6th of the third lunar month to commemorate the merits of the Hai Bà Trưng, who were instrumental in expelling the Eastern Han army. Legend has it that before committing suicide, the two ladies stopped by a restaurant to eat floating cake. Therefore, in the ritual, the community always offers floating cakes to Hai Bà Trưng. The ceremony includes many rituals such as taking Hai Bà Trưng to bathe at Mộc Dục temple; When carrying out the procession, Ms. Trưng Trắc's palanquin goes first, Ms. Trưng Nhị's palanquin goes behind; When the procession returns, the procession of Ms. Trưng Nhị goes first, and the palanquin of Ms. Trưng Trắc follows. King - Two Ladies procession: at the forefront is a group of female soldiers holding a command flag, two white horses, (saddles, bells, and music are the same, plaited with rattan, covered with white painted cloth), a group of female soldiers holding soldiers. gas and precious bowls, two incense burners, two dragon thrones with two dragon heads facing back, and two palanquins carrying the Hai Ba (only the person in the front row walks backward, facing the palanquin - a ceremony to welcome the mother), after each palanquin, Some people carry a box of shoes, some carry a box of mirrors and combs, some carry betel and areca palanquins. Floating cake is a special offering that Kẻ Hát people offer to Hai Bà Trưng on March 6. Residential areas choose representatives to make floating cakes to offer to the Saint. Each ceremony tray includes 6 plates of floating cake. The women wore traditional Áo Dài and ceremonial hats, lined up in two vertical lines to offer ceremony under the guidance of two masters of ceremonies. Before March 6, everyone abstains from eating floating cakes. After offering cakes to the Hai Bà Trưng, villagers can offer floating cakes to worship their ancestors. When conducting the ceremony, there are two masters of ceremonies and two people reading the wishes. When reading the will, there were two teams of female soldiers, wearing brown shirts, holding weapons, and two people holding two rice fans to cover the two wishes (about one meter long, with dragons embroidered on the fan base).
Viet Nam -
Forest Spirit Worship Ritual of the Pu Péo
The community worships the forest god in the forbidden forest according to their legend. They hold the Feast on June 6 at the edge of the forest behind the village. The altar is made from small branches and returns to the forbidden forest. Presiding over the worshiping ceremony is a shaman chosen by the villagers according to their own principles. There are two main rituals, as follows: Offering offerings: The villagers present an offering of live chickens and goats along with other offerings. The priest prays according to the set steps so that the gods can witness the ceremony, then let the people slaughter chickens and goats in turn. Main offering: The goat is charred, leaving the internal organs to serve the main ritual. The goat blood is blessed by the sorcerer to save the lost soul. In the end, they cook and eat on the spot together. The ceremony shows the community's sense of forest protection.
Viet Nam