A joyful spring in the villages of western Nghe An province

In Dong Hieu commune, the year-end markets have become a familiar meeting place for the Tho ethnic groups. Tet markets are not only places for buying and selling goods, but also spaces for meeting, socializing and sharing joy after a year of hard work. Dressed in their vibrant new clothes, the villagers carried with them excitement and anticipation for a new year of favorable weather and a bountiful harvest.

For the Tho people, Tet (Lunar New Year) is a sacred time to express reverence to ancestors and deities, at the same time an occasion for family reunions and strengthening bonds. Therefore, preparing traditional dishes is always considered very important. The Tet feast not only reflects the abundance of life but also represents a cultural identity preserved through many generations.

The family of Ms. Do Thi Binh in Dong Hieu commune is bustling these days. After a successful year of growing sugarcane and flowers, she and her children are busy making chung cakes (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year). The kitchen is ablaze with fire, the pot of rice cakes bubbling, the aroma of banana leaves and fresh sticky rice mingling with the smoke, creating a familiar and warm Tet atmosphere. Last year, the bountiful harvest provided Mrs. Binh’s family with better conditions to improve their lives, they were able to prepare offerings to worship the gods and ancestors during Tet even more meticulously and completely. Besides chung cakes, Mrs. Binh’s family also prepared many other traditional dishes of the Tho ethnic group such as buffalo horn-shaped cakes, bamboo-cooked rice and bua soup… Each dish is associated with its own customs, traditions and cultural beliefs. The buffalo horn-shaped cakes are cooked together with the pot of chung cakes during Tet holiday, placed respectfully on the ancestral altar from the afternoon of the 30^th and only taken down on the evening of the first day of the new year. It is a ritualistic custom, expressing respect and gratitude towards one’s origins.

Not only in Dong Hieu commune, but also in other highland communes of Nghe An province, the Tet cuisine of ethnic minorities has its own unique characteristics, reflecting the natural conditions, livelihoods and cultural life of the locality. During Tet holiday (Vietnamese New Year), people usually choose the finest glutinous rice to make sticky rice dishes and cakes; the offering tray cannot be without boiled chicken, sticky rice, green chung cakes and other familiar dishes made from produce they raise and grow themselves. In particular, alcohol is an indispensable drink. In many villages, almost every household has its own distillery. The liquor, brewed using yeast made by the local people themselves, has a distinctive mountain and forest flavor and is used to entertain guests who come to wish them a happy New Year and in order to meet the daily needs of the family.

Sharing about her family’s Tet customs, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Mui, a resident of Quy Hop commune, said that the chung cakes and sticky rice offered to ancestors are all made from Cu Phang sticky rice - a variety of sticky rice grown by her family, famous for its aroma and chewiness. Besides being used during holidays and festivals, this product is also chosen by locals as a gift for honored guests, as a way to introduce the flavors of their homeland.

Today, the people in the mountainous areas of Nghe An province still maintain many traditional customs and cultural activities during the Lunar New Year. During the spring festival, people of the Thai, Tho and Mong ethnic groups dress in traditional costumes and participate in folk games such as tug-of-war, stick pushing, spinning tops, spinning tops, throwing the ball and furrow carving. The village atmosphere thus becomes vibrant and colorful.

Amidst the lively laughter and chatter, folk melodies such as “hat xuoi” and “hat lam” resound throughout the spring day. Simple, heartfelt songs, inspired by daily life and work, or recounting stories of heroic figures from folk legends have contributed to nurturing the spiritual life of the community.

For the people of the mountainous region of Nghe An province, Tet is not only the moment of transition from the old year to the new year, but also an opportunity to reflect on the journey so far and strengthen their faith in the future. Amidst the warm, comforting aroma of rice wine and simple yet heartfelt New Year’s greetings, the villagers express their wishes for a peaceful and prosperous new year, an increasingly stable life and a more vibrant village.

Spring arrives gently, bringing with it abundant joy, strong community bonds and the traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities preserved through generations, creating a vibrant picture in the vast forests of western Nghe An province./.