Naming ceremony for children of Mong people in Cao Bang

The Mong people believe that when a child is born, its soul is still wandering, so a soul-calling ceremony and naming ceremony must be held so that the child will be recognized, protected, and blessed by the ancestors to avoid illness. According to Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong (Bao Lam district, Cao Bang province), this ceremony is solemnly organized by the Mong people like the full-month ceremony of the Tay and Nung people; relatives and neighbors are invited to attend.

"A baby is about 3 days old when it is born and a naming ceremony is held. At that time, a shaman must be invited to perform a soul-calling ceremony. Families that can afford it will slaughter a pig and invite both parents, relatives, and neighbors to come and eat a meal to name the baby and give a new name to the parents. Families that cannot afford it will only prepare a meal and invite close relatives to eat together to pray for the baby's health," said Ms. Phuong.

The Mong people in Cao Bang often hold a naming ceremony when the baby is 3 days old, to be recognized as a member of the family and to receive blessings from ancestors and midwives for good health, rapid growth and all blessings. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

The ceremony is usually held early in the morning at the family with the newborn baby. Mr. Hoang A Tu (Thach Lam commune, Bao Lam district, Cao Bang province) said that before the ceremony, the homeowner slaughters a chicken, boils it and brings it to the ancestral altar, then the shaman performs the soul calling ceremony at the main door of the house. The Mong people often place a table or a chair to place the offering tray. The offering tray includes a bowl of rice to hold incense, on the bowl of rice is an egg, next to it is a live chicken:

"The right to name a baby is discussed and agreed upon by the grandparents and biological parents before informing the shaman. For example, if the name is Mi, when it is time to call the spirit, the shaman will say "Mi, come home, now you have a father and a mother, you don't go out anymore, come home with your grandparents and parents". At that time, the shaman will throw a hexagram, if both sides are up, it means that the ancestors and the baby's spirit have agreed with this name. At this time, the baby's spirit has returned, but if both sides are face down or one side is open and the other side is face down, the family must give the child another name. When the name is given to the child, the incense bowl will be brought into the room and placed on the headboard of the child's bed, and the egg will be boiled. And the chicken will be slaughtered to offer to the ancestors again".

The naming of a child by the Mong people is not only the first milestone marking the existence of a person, but also reflects the traditional ideology and culture of the nation.

After the ceremony is over, the child is officially recognized as a member of the family, blessed by the ancestors and the midwife to be healthy and grow up quickly. At this time, relatives and everyone will come to give the child gifts such as: a pair of chickens, a bag of delicious rice, a little money... to celebrate the child being named and growing up healthy, then happily gather to eat and drink. Mr. Hoang A Tu, a Mong ethnic in Thach Lam commune, Bao Lam district, Cao Bang province, added that the naming ceremony for the first-born child and the second-born child is also somewhat different:

"When performing the naming ceremony for the first child, the Mong people often rename the child's parents. The Mong people call it naming an adult. For example, if the father's name is Pa, the rename will add a middle name, Hong Pa or Dung Pa. On this day, any family that can afford it will slaughter a pig weighing about 40-50kg, invite relatives and neighbors to dinner, and then announce that their name has been renamed like this so that everyone knows and from then on, everyone will call the baby's parents by their new name. As for the naming ceremony for the second child, it is just a simple ceremony to name the child without inviting many guests."

Nowadays, life has changed a lot. When giving birth, Mong women know about hospitals and no longer give birth at home like in the past. Giving birth in the hospital usually takes 5-7 days before being discharged, so the naming ceremony is no longer required when the baby is 3 days old. However, when performing the ceremony, it is necessary to inform the ancestors that today the child is 5 days old or 10 days old...

For the Mong people in Cao Bang, naming a child is not only the first milestone marking the beginning of a person's life, so the naming ceremony is always organized very carefully. This is also a traditional cultural feature that represents many humanistic values ​​and community solidarity that is still being preserved and promoted by the Mong people in Cao Bang.

Source: https://vov.vn/van-hoa/le-dat-ten-cho-tre-em-cua-nguoi-mong-o-cao-bang-post1104807.vov