2ND DAY OF TET
Every year at the end of August, the Muong people in Hao Ly village, Sa Loong commune (Ngoc Hoi district, Kon Tum) are busy preparing for the second Tet of their people - Independence Day.
Young women in traditional costumes perform folk songs and dances.
For several days, the villagers had hung up their hoes and plows and stopped working in the fields. Every household was busy cleaning their houses and arranging the altars with Uncle Ho's pictures. When the work at home had stopped, without anyone telling them, everyone went to clean the communal house and village roads, and planted red flags with yellow stars all over the roads to celebrate National Day. When the cleaning work was finished, the villagers discussed cutting bamboo to make water wheels, swings, and bamboo poles to prepare for the big festival that was approaching.
On the first morning of Independence Day, the atmosphere in the village seemed to be more bustling. Waking up at 5am, Mr. Quach Cong Than (49 years old, Hao Ly village) and some neighbors went to the communal house to slaughter pigs and chickens for the ceremony. Mr. Than said that the Muong people started celebrating Independence Day on September 2, 1945. For nearly 80 years, no Muong person could forget the National Day. Brothers and children, whether studying or working far away, would come home to reunite and share the joys and sorrows of life.
Hao Ly village is brilliant with flags and flowers to welcome Independence Day
In the early 90s of the 20th century, the first Muong people from Hoa Binh migrated to the border commune of Sa Loong to live. They took the old village name Hao Ly to name the new village as a gratitude and admiration for their homeland. Although they have moved thousands of kilometers away, the tradition of celebrating Independence Day is still preserved by the Muong people living in Kon Tum.
As the oldest person in Hao Ly village, Mr. Bui Thanh Xuan (75 years old) said that National Day is a big festival for the Muong people. On this day every year, every family will prepare a full offering tray to commemorate their ancestors and Uncle Ho. When the house is neat, the whole village gathers under the communal house roof to recall the tradition of National Day September 2. It is a day of reunion, so children and grandchildren who are studying or working far away from home also gather here.
"On Independence Day, everyone from the elderly to the children are excited and happy to welcome it. The moment of gathering together, everyone will review the glorious traditions of the nation. Villagers confide in each other, share after a busy year with the fields and participate in folk games. Not only does it improve the spiritual life of the people, this is also an opportunity to strengthen solidarity among ethnic groups," said Mr. Xuan.
Girls playing swings with laughter
PRESERVING CULTURAL IDENTITY
On the roof of the communal house are booths displaying and introducing local products. Along with that, typical dishes such as chicken cooked with taro leaves, braised fish, grilled pork, and five-color sticky rice are brought out to entertain distinguished guests.
In the yard, the swings were decorated with colorful decorations. Girls in traditional costumes were swinging up and down together, laughing and joking. Not far away, boys were competing with each other to see who could throw the most shuttlecocks to the target. At the end of the yard, a group of children were cheering and encouraging their friends in a blindfolded duck catching game. Every now and then, there was a burst of laughter when a child fell over after missing a catch.
Young men and women dance together on Independence Day
Joining the joyful and bustling atmosphere are folk song and dance performances celebrating the country, praising the homeland, and spreading national identity. All are recreated to create an exciting, warm atmosphere, imbued with the traditions of the ethnic groups.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Bang, Chairman of Sa Loong Commune People's Committee, said that Hao Ly village has 143 households/576 people, all of whom are Muong people. Muong people in Hao Ly village still preserve unique cultural features such as gong culture, lullabies, antiphonal singing, and meng singing... This is a particularly valuable cultural asset, making an important contribution to the multi-ethnic culture of the Central Highlands.
Children cheering their friends in a folk game
According to Mr. Bang, in the atmosphere of the whole country celebrating the National Day on September 2, ethnic groups in general and the Muong people in particular also celebrate Independence Day. Through that, people look back at the development process of the village and pay tribute to the generations of people who fought and sacrificed to protect national independence.
Mr. Nguyen Chi Tuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ngoc Hoi District, said that the district has supported 20 million VND and created conditions for people to organize the Independence Day. The festival has become an activity of profound political and cultural significance, a place for Muong people and other ethnic groups in the area to meet, exchange experiences, raise awareness and sense of responsibility for preserving traditional cultural identity. Besides, it strengthens the strength of the great national unity bloc.
Children participate in the folk game of blindfolded duck catching.
"In the coming time, Ngoc Hoi district has a plan to develop Hao Ly village into a community tourism village to bring traditional culture and local destinations closer to tourists from near and far," Mr. Tuong added.
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