Some ethnic minority groups
across Vietnam maintain customs and habits passed down over the centuries to
mark the Lunar New Year festivities of Tet, from stealing for good luck to
slapping women on the bottom.
Washing hair by sour rice
water
The Thai Trang, or White
Thai, in northern Son La Province have a custom of washing their hair in sour
rice water on the afternoon of the final day before the Tet festival to cleanse
away bad luck of the old year and open the way for fortune in the New Year. At
the end of the hair washing ceremony, men and women engage in boat racing.
Stealing for good luck
The Lo Lo people in
northern Ha Giang Province steal things for good luck, but never anything of great
value, only onions or garlic or fire wood. They act alone and try not to get
caught, but even if they are they are forgiven. What they manage to take is
said to bring them good luck to their family for the year. On the last day
before the Tet festival, the Lo Lo will mark their belongings, such the
family's hoe, shovel, knives, plough, animal coops, even trees, with
silver-coloured or yellow paper.
'Singing' with roosters
The Pu Peo believe the
crowing of roosters to be sacred and watch the birds on New Year’s Eve. When
they hear the rooster flap its wings in preparation for crowing, they light a
cracker and throw it into the coop to force all the birds to crow together.
They immediately sing loudly to drown out the crowing in hope of attracting
good luck.
Slapping bottoms
Among the Mong, a man will
slap the bottom of any woman he likes on the Eve of Tet, so they can share
feelings overnight.
Worshiping a bowl of water
The Pa Then in northern Ha
Giang province place a covered bowl of water on the family altar and do not
uncover it until June, when it is kept replenished until Tet. And on the day
before the Tet festival, doors, windows and holes are sealed and the family
cooks a pot of rice to eat in private, then take down the bowl of water from
the altar to use for cleaning, replacing it with fresh water.
Pig liver divination
Ha Nhi families kill a pig
to honour their ancestors, and examine its liver to predict what the coming
year holds.
From: dtnews
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