The initiation ceremony is a unique social custom created and preserved by the Thanh Y Dao people for many generations.
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| Reenacting the Dao Thanh Y's coming-of-age ceremony on the stage of Bang Ca Village Festival, Quang Ninh. (Source: Quang Ninh media) |
Bang Ca is a mountainous commune, located in the West of Ha Long city. The natural area is 3,208.35 hectares. The administrative boundary of the commune is divided into 3 villages, with a population of 512 households, with 1,876 people. The commune has 5 ethnic groups living together, of which ethnic minorities account for over 97% (Dao Thanh Y accounts for 92%), the rest are ethnic groups: Kinh, Hoa, Tay and San Diu.
For a long time, the Coming of Age Ceremony has been an indispensable procedure for the men of the Dao Thanh Y commune of Bang Ca. This is a unique social custom created by the Dao Thanh Y people and preserved and promoted for many generations.
The coming of age ceremony, also known as the naming ceremony, for a Dao Thanh Y boy, no matter how old he is, if he has not undergone the coming of age ceremony, he is considered to have no name and is not registered in the Dao genealogy of the clan.
Therefore, a Dao Thanh Y man who has passed the ordination ceremony is considered an adult, affirming to his clan and ancestors the position and role of a man in the family, being qualified to burn incense at the altar and praying for luck and good harvest for his neighbors, and being able to reunite with his ancestors when he dies.
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| Dao Thanh Y ethnic women dressed in traditional costumes attending the village festival. (Source: Quang Ninh media) |
To prepare for the coming-of-age ceremony, the family had previously informed the neighbors and the village about the important event for the family and invited everyone to come and share the joy and congratulations with the family. In particular, the family invited the best teachers and singers in the village to come to the ceremony.
The ordination ceremony usually goes through 13 ceremonies, the main ceremonies are worshiping ancestors, worshiping the Jade Emperor, Ban Vuong... Here, the monks take turns dancing around the person being ordained, the sound of drums and gongs echoes with prayers and offerings with the purpose of bringing evil spirits, diseases, and gloom out of the family.
In particular, in the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group's ordination ceremony in Bang Ca commune, besides the prayers and offerings of the monks, the female ordination singers (usually 4 women) sit next to them and sing, with the purpose of singing to lull the ancestors to sleep well, praying for the ancestors to bless the homeowner with prosperity in business, and for the monks to perform the ordination ceremony well...
At the end of the ceremony, the monks, the homeowner and the person receiving the title enter the house. Here, the monks perform a ceremony to thank the ancestors and gods for their support, allowing the monks to perform the title ceremony and bestow it on the person receiving the title. From then on, the person receiving the ceremony is considered a fully grown man, both physically and spiritually.
The Dao Thanh Y's initiation ceremony is always respected and preserved by the whole community, not only expressing the beauty and cultural values, national spirit, but also expressing spiritual beliefs, at the same time promoting the cultural identity of the Dao Thanh Y, contributing to building an advanced culture with strong national identity.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quang-ninh-doc-dao-le-cap-sac-cua-nguoi-dao-thanh-y-306047.html
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