Ethnic communities in Quang Ngai celebrate Lunar New Year

• HCM City leaders host Lunar New Year meeting with foreign representative agencies
• Hoi An to celebrate lunar New Year’s full moon day
• Hung Kings Temples full of worshippers on Lunar New Year

The H’re people in Son Ha district are using bamboo and leaves to make good-luck offerings to their Gods in the new year in the way their ancestors did.

Dinh Van Bon, in Son Trung commune, Son Ha district said the practice has been passed through generations. “I saw my grandparents and my parents do it every New Year festival, and follow them. Then I teach young people how to make offerings and decorate the house, combining the traditional style of H’re people and the present practice,” he said. 

Among the H’re traditional offerings at Tet, the Gagu ( a variant of Chung cake (square glutinous rice cake) is indispensible. Dinh Thi Luu in Son Trung commune, Son Ha district said H’re women selected the highest quality rice to make the cakes to offer to the Mountain God, the Tree God and their ancestors, asking for their blessing for a new healthy and prosperous year.

Meanwhile, Cadong ethnic people in the mountainous district of Son Tay celebrated their traditional New Year festival at the same time with the Tet of the nation. Villagers usually get together to celebrate the festival, taking a break from a hard-working year, and wishing each other health and lucrative crops.

Ahead the festive time, Cadong ethnic men are responsible for decorating houses while women cook.

Dinh Thi Thieu, in Son Long commune holds a bigger Tet celebration because she had a bumper harvest last year.

“I have prepared a pig and some chickens along with rice wine for the Tet festival and will invite my neighbours to come and enjoy the food with my family.” Thieu said.

In these days, the sound of gongs can be heard everywhere in Son Tay as Cadong ethnic people are celebrating their traditional festival.