Qingming Festival: Returning to the roots

Nung ethnic people in Hong Phong commune, Binh Gia district make traditional wormwood cakes to prepare for Thanh Minh festival.

According to the customs of the Tay and Nung people of Lang Son, Thanh Minh Festival is one of the three main festivals of the year, along with Tet Nguyen Dan and the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. According to folk beliefs, Thanh Minh comes 45 days after Lap Xuan, thanh means fresh, clean; minh means bright. Thanh Minh Festival is a time when the weather is mild, bright, the air is cool and pleasant, all things grow and flourish. This year, Thanh Minh Festival begins from the 7th day of the 3rd lunar month to the 22nd day of the 3rd lunar month.

Mr. Hoang Van Pao, Chairman of the Provincial Cultural Heritage Association, said: For the Tay and Nung people in Lang Son, Thanh Minh Festival is also known as “so slam, bươn slam” (ie the third day of the third lunar month). The Tay and Nung people in Lang Son usually celebrate Thanh Minh Festival on the third day of the third lunar month. However, nowadays, due to work conditions, in some places, people can choose a nice day on the weekend during Thanh Minh to visit graves, as long as it is in the third lunar month. Although the chosen date is different, the way the Tay and Nung people visit graves is the same, all towards their ancestors and roots.

During these days, it is easy to see that in the cemeteries of families and clans of the Tay and Nung people in the province, people are bustling with people visiting graves and burning incense for their ancestors and deceased relatives to remember and show their respect. Usually, after the ancestral worship ceremony at home, the descendants in the family begin to visit the graves. The offerings depend on the circumstances of the descendants. In particular, during the Thanh Minh festival of the Tay and Nung people, there must be "khau nua dam deng" (red and black sticky rice), purple sticky rice or five-color sticky rice, mugwort cake, five-color sticky rice cake...

Ms. Ha Thi Tuoi, Nung ethnic group, Phai Luong village, Hop Thanh commune, Cao Loc district shared: On Thanh Minh festival, wormwood cake is an indispensable dish in the offering tray to ancestors. To make delicious, soft, and evenly green wormwood cakes, I have to choose good sticky rice, and the sugar used to make the cakes is yellow, sweet, and grit-free rock sugar. The wormwood leaves must be fresh and young...

Mr. Nong Tien Thanh, Na Ton village, Tri Phuong commune, Trang Dinh district said: I work in an industrial park in Bac Ninh, but every year on Thanh Minh festival, I try to arrange to bring my wife and children back to my hometown to visit the graves and burn incense to remember my grandparents and ancestors. I feel that this custom is very meaningful, creating an opportunity for children and grandchildren far from home to come back home to gather, so as not to forget their roots.

In order to preserve the civilized beauty in Thanh Minh Festival customs and push back bad customs, the authorities of districts and cities have directed specialized departments and commune-level People's Committees to mobilize people to practice civilized lifestyles in religious and belief activities; limit the burning of votive paper which causes waste and spreads forest fires; maintain environmental hygiene in cemetery areas...

Nowadays, the ancient rituals have changed somewhat so that the holiday can be organized economically, suitable for modern life. However, the humanistic meaning of expressing gratitude of descendants to grandparents and ancestors on Thanh Minh festival is always a beautiful feature that creates family traditions, preserved in the cultural flow of the nation.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/gin-giu-phong-tuc-tet-thanh-minh-net-dep-bao-hieu-cua-dong-bao-tay-nung-xu-lang-5042598.html