VN celebrates a diverse Tet

Hanoi (VNA) - Throughout the nation, Vietnamese are preparing to welcome the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday and the coming spring in their own special way.

Many of the 54 ethnic groups that make up the mosaic of Vietnamese life have their
own unique approach to Tet, reflecting their natural environment and cultural
heritage.

"Long tong" festival

A Tay ethnic man, Nong Ich Lai and his entire commune in the northern province
of Cao Bang 's Boc Thuong village are excitedly preparing for the 'long tong'
(going to the field) festival, which lasts through the first month of the Year of
the Buffalo .

Starting on the first day of Tet, people of all ages come together in the
village's largest field to perform the 'long tong' ceremony, where the God of
agriculture is worshipped by the Tay and Nung ethnic groups and the villagers pray
for a successful year ahead, says Lai.

Traditionally, the ceremony would continue until the rice, meat and wine ran out,
but now the event lasts three days.

On the first day of Tet, people visit the houses of their relatives and neighbours
to wish them a happy and lucky new year.

The next day is devoted to folk songs such as 'hat luon' (love duet) and 'hat sli'
(alternating songs). Anyone who witnesses these performances would be impressed by
the way the smooth melodies harmonise with the sound of the forests and mountains,
says Lai.

The performances also give young people a chance to make friends, renew their
acquaintances or even find romance for the coming year.

Lai says the most important part of the ceremony is when each family prepares a
tray of Tet specialities to bring to the largest field in the commune. Often this
food includes "banh chung" (square glutinous rice cakes with green beans and
pork), boiled rooster and boiled eggs dyed red, violet, yellow and green. The
villagers also prepare red and yellow sticky rice to symbolise the sun and the
moon and fruits to offer to the agriculture god.

On the last day of the ceremony, people descend onto the chosen field to compete
in farming, irrigation and ploughing competitions.

The "long tong" festival is the customs of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in the
northern provinces of Cao Bang, Lang Son, Bac Can, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang and
Thai Nguyen.

Resounding gongs

While the Tay and Nung pray in the field, the Muong ethnic group strike gongs to
herald the new year.

The Muong people of the north-western region are known for their "cong chieng"
(gong) festivals, which take place over the first month of the lunar year.

In addition to gongs, the Muong people play two-stringed violins, flutes, drums,
and pan-pipes to ring in the new year in a bustling, vibrant atmosphere.

Dances of the Dao

The Dao ethnic group welcome the new year with their special "nhiong cham dao" or
"Tet nhay" (dancing ceremony), says 78-year-old Dao elder Hoang Tung Phin.

The event kicks off just a few days before Tet to hone the villagers' fitness and
martial arts skills with wooden sword dances.

Children also get the chance to hear folk stories such as Qua Bau (the Gourd), Con
Cao Biet Hat (The Fox that Sings) or Su Tich Mat Troi, Mat Trang (The Tale of the
Sun and the Moon) from elderly villagers, says Phin.-Enditem

The E De and the M' Nong people of the Central Highlands continue to prove that
animals can do more than just work the fields - they are also a source of
entertainment, according to Ho Vinh, an elder of Don village.

The Tay Nguyen tradition of elephant racing, which occurs in the third month of
the year in Don village, Dac Lac province, is one of the most important events on
the regional calendar.

Hundreds of big, strong elephants take their marks in the paddy fields that
temporarily serve as racecourses.

After the gongs and horns sound, the elephants begin their race. As they near the
finish line, the audience cannot help but be moved by the roar of the jungle
giants.

This is the toughest test for the elephant jockeys, as their animals try to run as
fast as they can and can accidentally knock over fence poles, causing them to be
disqualified, says Vinh.

The heroes of the championship, man and beast, are feted with bananas, sugarcane,
sugar, tea, and cigarettes.

This mammoth event is a tradition that the highlanders are rightly proud of.

Although they speak in different tongues, many ethnic groups live close together
and pick up each others' languages enough to communicate.

They are still able to retain their unique cultural identities and this diversity
contributes to the development of the nation, says Vinh.-Enditem