Special lunar New Year of Ro Ngao people
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| Photo for illustration. |
Ro Ngao is a local branch of the Bahnar ethnic community. The Ro Ngao people live mainly in Dak Ha district, Kon Tum province. Each year, they often host a special worshiping ceremony at the end of the year to thank the good things that Yàng Ia (God Water) has brought to the villagers over the past year and wish for luck, good health and bumper crops in the New Year.
According to a legend of the Ro Ngao people, Water God provides the main source of water for agricultural crops, brings health and peace to the villagers. Instead of digging wells for water, they search for streams inside mountains. Then, they use hollow tree trunks to convey the water from inside of the mountain to their village. The places where Ro Ngao people get water from called "Nuoc giot" (Water drop).
For the Ro Ngao people, the special worshiping ceremony at the end of the year is considered their "Lunar New Year" festival. During the event, they pray for clean water, good health and bumper crops in the New Year. The essential offerings at the ceremony are pigs, chicken, sticky rice and straw liquor. They believe that the more beautifully decorated the ceremony is, the more prosperous and happier New Year will come to them.
According to A Thui, a reputable person among the Ro Ngao people in Kon Trang Long Lo today’s worshiping ceremony has been simplified as it does not include unsound customs. Instead, residents are urged to clean the "Nuoc giot" site for a safe water supply.
“The Ro Ngao people in Kon Trang Long Loi village wholeheartedly follow the Communist Party of Vietnam. We join hands with the local authority to build a civilized residential model by removing backward customs and social evils out of the community. Currently, the Ro Ngao people in the village know how to cultivate coffee and rubber trees to increase their incomes, contributing to the general development of the village", A Thui shared.
