Unique spring customs among ethnic communities

After the merger, Tuyen Quang has become home to 46 ethnic groups, forming a vibrant cultural mosaic. Each spring, ethnic minority communities across the province observe distinctive and sacred customs, creating a rich “heritage land” imbued with deep philosophies of life.

Lo Lo people in Lung Cu commune maintain their traditional drum dance during early spring rituals.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the Lo Lo people in the rocky highlands maintain the custom of “Khu Mi,” loosely translated as “stealing for luck.” According to tradition, bringing a small item home at the moment of transition into the new year will ensure good fortune and abundant harvests. However, the practice follows strict rules: only small, symbolic items of little value, such as onions, garlic, vegetables or a small piece of firewood, may be taken, and valuable property is strictly forbidden. Far from a negative act, “Khu Mi” is a humane spring ritual expressing hopes for peace and prosperity.

For the Dao people, the “Nhang Cham” Ceremony (Year-End Thanksgiving Ritual) is a major event held from early December of the lunar calendar until before New Year’s Eve. Families conduct rituals to dispel misfortune and give thanks to ancestors, Ban Vuong and deities for their protection throughout the year, while praying for a smooth and auspicious year ahead.

The Hmong community also observes strict and distinctive taboos during Tet, particularly regarding food on the first day of the year. For the first three days, meals exclude soup and green vegetables, based on the belief that eating rice with soup would bring heavy rains and crop loss. Instead, families gather around carefully prepared pork and chicken dishes, along with “banh day” (sticky rice cakes), a sacred symbol of the Sun and the Moon representing fullness and prosperity.

At dawn on the first day of Tet, the Tay people perform the ritual of fetching new-year water. The head of the household carries a bamboo tube to a village spring, offers incense to seek permission from the Water and Earth deities, and collects fresh water to place on the ancestral altar as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. On the way home, they also pick a young branch for luck and gather 12 pebbles representing the 12 prosperous months of the year.

Meanwhile, the San Diu people begin the new year with a vegetarian meal on the morning of the first day of Tet to worship Buddha and their ancestors, praying for purity and peace. Only on the second day do they prepare a lavish meat feast to host relatives and friends.

These distinctive customs reflect spiritual beliefs and reverence for nature and deities, while helping preserve cultural identity and sustaining the enduring vitality of this northern frontier region.

Duc Hai