Cultural and spiritual beauty of the village

People have the opportunity to join in the joyful and bustling festival.

Meaningful spiritual life

Almost every land has a Thanh Hoang - a person who has contributed to the development and preservation of the land. In many communal houses today, "Thanh Hoang" is not just a "general" god, but they can be historical figures who have made great contributions to protecting the villagers in the past, such as: Nguyen Huu Canh, Thoai Ngoc Hau... According to the custom, the villagers organize an annual communal house worship ceremony, also known as a peace-praying ceremony to commemorate and thank Thanh Hoang, Than Nong, Than Ho... Typically, the Ky Yen Festival of Nhon My communal house (Cho Moi district) takes place from April 16 to 18 (lunar calendar), with folk rituals that still strongly reflect the traditional culture of the agricultural land that has existed and developed to this day.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nhon, Deputy Head of the Nhon My Communal House Management Board, said that every year, the ritual of worshiping at the communal house is maintained to pray for "national peace, people's peace", "favorable weather", "a bountiful harvest", and prosperity and happiness for every family. Up to now, the worshiping committee still maintains the traditional rituals, such as: requesting the royal decree, reporting to the Emperor, worshiping the God of Agriculture, offering sacrifices, offering incense, offering incense money, etc. However, the time of the ritual has changed slightly to suit current conditions. In particular, the royal decree is paraded through the local streets to inform people of the upcoming main ceremony. Previously, the decree was kept at the house of the communal house keeper, but now, the decree is kept in the communal house, and requesting the decree is replaced by a parade.

In addition, there is also a ceremony to worship Than Nong - the god related to the farming work of the people; a ceremony to pay tribute to the local government, the communal house management board, the communal departments, branches and organizations, and the people, to express their respect and gratitude to the famous gods, heroes, martyrs, and ancestors who have contributed to building and protecting the Fatherland and homeland. After the ceremonies, people freely worship, pray for peace for their families, smooth work, health, etc. Visitors from all over the country also gather in large numbers, including those from outside the province, sometimes those who were born and raised and then return to visit their hometowns, contributing to building bridges and roads, giving gifts to the poor, etc.

Solidarity Day

Not only preserving traditional values, local people also contribute funds to renovate and repair communal houses and temples after a period of degradation, preserving meaningful works in their spiritual life. In recent years, the provincial budget has also spent a large part of its budget to support localities in repairing and upgrading communal houses and temples, especially those recognized as historical relics, architectural and artistic relics at the provincial and national levels; awarding copies of royal decrees... Over time, the communal house roof looming under the rows of ancient trees is still sturdy, existing at the village entrance, riverside, evoking a typical image of the homeland for each child born and raised.

On normal days, the cool space in the communal house becomes a close-knit place for many people from old to young. Around the shady Bodhi tree in the yard of Vinh Nguon communal house (Chau Doc city), there are several chess tables every day, a meeting place for those who love intellectual sports. Students and children also choose the communal house yard as a place to play folk games, do group cheers, and practice dancing for school performances.

The festival is even more fun, the festival is eagerly awaited by the people, because there are many joyful and exciting contents. "During the festival, there will be sports, competitions, folk games; first to worship the gods, then to entertain the villagers. The carefully selected plays carry the meaning of loyalty and filial piety, such as: San Hau, Tieu Anh Phung saves the lord, Quang Trung defeats the Qing army... Some places will organize amateur music and new traditional music activities..." - Mr. Nam Dinh, representative of the senior class in Khanh Hoa commune, Chau Phu district shared.

Joining the festival, you can also watch the duck catching contest on the river, pot smashing games, chess, stick pushing... The games not only create a bustling atmosphere for the ceremony, but also contribute to connecting the village, especially collective competitions such as: Tug of war, sack jumping, boat racing... Modern sports are also included in the competition, suitable for young people such as soccer, volleyball... A harmonious blend, where the ancients proudly preserve the values ​​of centuries and the young continue to receive and foster their love for their homeland.

The competitions in the festival do not focus on winning or losing, high or low prizes, but people are happy because they have the opportunity to meet, chat, and ask about life and business. There are guests from far away who come to watch, or people from far away who return to worship the village guardian spirit... At these times, people in the countryside are very proud, seeing the communal house worship ceremony as a very meaningful and necessary thing to educate generations about local culture, remembering their roots...

HOAI AN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/net-dep-van-hoa-tinh-than-cua-lang-xa-a418078.html