The Dao people's Tau Sai festival

The Great Tau Sai Ceremony or the 12-lamp Cap Sac Ceremony is the highest level of rites according to Dao customs. The Cap Sac ceremony has many levels, the first level is when an adult Dao man is given 3 lamps and 36 soldiers and horses; the second level is given 7 lamps and 72 soldiers and horses; the highest level is given 12 lamps and 120 soldiers and horses. This is the highest, optional, very rare ritual and is organized by many clans who prepare together for many years. When going through this highest ritual, Dao men will be respected by the community and become a great honor for their family and clan. Although the ordination ceremony is for adult men, the mandatory condition is that they must have a happy family and be recognized by the community. Therefore, in the ordination ceremony, the women who are the wives of Dao men always appear when they have to perform the rituals. The 12-lamp Cap Sac ceremony takes place with many steps such as: the ceremony to welcome the teacher, the ceremony to open the altar to report to the ancestors, the ceremony to put on the painting... During the 4 days and nights of the grand ceremony, from the shamans to the students who are the subjects of the Cap Sac and the invited guests, all must be vegetarian, the couples must eat separately and live separately. After that, the shaman performs the ceremony to transmit knowledge to the students, instructing them that after this highest Cap Sac ceremony, they must have a heart and virtue to be a good person. The most solemn ceremony will take place on the 3rd night of the ceremony, a tray of 7 candles and a tray of 12 candles are passed around the students' heads many times to bestow the blessing of 120 soldiers. After the lighting ceremony, the students spread out mats and lie down, placing a mask and a pair of chopsticks on their faces from top to bottom to perform separate rituals. The teachers will walk around 3 times, chanting spells as they walk, then go to each student's bed and pat their chest to bring them back to reality. The last day is the coronation ceremony at the outdoor altar. During this ceremony, the shaman leads the students to the altar to receive the Jade Emperor's seal (symbolic) and the yin and yang diploma - the highest degree. Next, the students and their wives take turns kneeling down to receive the seals given by the teachers. This is the most sacred moment in the life of a Red Dao man. After the coronation ceremony, the disciples will change their robes into the traditional indigo black robes of the Dao people and sit around the table, arranged in two rows, husband in front, wife in back, to have a family meal. The shaman holds a white ribbon wrapped around the people receiving the ceremony, this ribbon symbolizes unity, and goes around to distribute to each person a handful of rice symbolizing the soldiers. After the ceremony ends, the rice is wrapped in a white ribbon and each person cuts a piece to take home.

The unique and special feature only exists in the highest Cap sac ceremony which will take place after the family reunion meal. To test the courage of the students, red-hot stones and plowshares in the red fire will be pushed out of the stove. The students will rush to grab the red-hot plowshares, whoever grabs them will be considered to have received great fortune. Then 12 red-hot stones will be arranged in a row and the students will have to run across them barefoot to test their will. After completing the rituals, everyone happily holds a party to celebrate the students who have been promoted.

Heritage Magazine