The worship ceremony is held on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month. On this day, all the dishes placed as offerings on the altar are prepared by the women in each Nung family.

Local people in Ngoc Lau Hamlet, Vinh Quang Commune, Chiem Hoa District making ‘banh gai’ (glutinous rice cake blackened in a concoction of edible leaves) as an offering to their ancestors during the “Pay Tai” festival.

Duck meat is an indispensable dish in the “Pay Tai” festival. The legend has it that the duck is considered a sacred animal in the spirituality of the Nung people, because it is the earth’s emissary to the heaven.

The Full Moon of lunar July also carries many other meanings. This marks an important milestone of crops in the year when local people have finished the harvest of the Chiem (winter-spring) rice and maize crops, and are waiting for harvesting the Mua (summer-autumn) rice crop. Therefore, they hold a celebration party and make a feast of offerings to ancestors to pray for good weather and abundant crops.

Over time, the Nung people’s celebration of lunar July Full Moon has still preserved its ancient traditions, contributing to showing respect to parents and ancestors.