The festival honors traditional rituals connected to the life cycle of rice. This is an occasion for the villagers to express gratitude to the heavens and the forces of nature for favorable weather and bountiful harvests, which bring health, prosperity, and happiness to their community.
In Ngan Thuy commune, the Bru-Van Kieu families celebrate the festival within their clans, and each village chooses its own time based on the rice harvest. The way the offerings are arranged also varies from clan to clan.
According to tradition, the heads of each clan gather their children and grandchildren to select the best date and time for the celebration. For the Bru-Van Kieu people, the ideal time to honor the spirits is in the morning, when the day’s energy is at its peak.
The festival is divided into two parts: the ritual ceremony, which has a sacred significance, and the celebration, which includes traditional games and folk performances.
A ceremonial pole, called a "neu pole," is essential to the festival. It is placed at the center of the event and decorated with images of rice plants, tied with full rice clusters. The neu pole also features simple geometric shapes, birds, and celestial symbols like the moon and sun. The decorations are typically done in two colors—black and red.
During the ritual, villagers form a circle around the pole, watching the elders and shaman perform the sacred ceremony. Once the ritual is complete, the sound of gongs and drums fills the air, and the villagers dance and sing together around the neu pole.
One essential element of the New Rice Festival is a dish of freshly harvested sticky rice, made by the families themselves. This is accompanied by bamboo tubes filled with white and black sticky rice, grilled over charcoal. The offering tray also includes clear water and rice flowers crafted from bamboo, symbolizing the rice blossoms offered to the spirits. Cattle meat, such as beef, goat, or pork, and a jar of fermented wine, aged for years, are also required.
After the ritual, the villagers enthusiastically join in the celebration, playing traditional games. The also sing folk songs, with lyrics asking for peace and abundant harvest.
After the games and songs, everyone gathers around the offering trays to enjoy simple, rustic dishes. During the festive meal, elders and clan leaders share blessings and stories, wishing for a successful harvest and favorable weather.
The Bru-Van Kieu people’s tradition of celebrating the New Rice Festival dates back centuries. In the past, they cultivated upland rice, and after each harvest, they would hold the festival before preparing for the next planting season.
Over times, wars and resettlements caused the tradition to fade, but in recent years, local authorities have helped the community revive this important spiritual and cultural event.
In November 2023, the Bru-Van Kieu people’s New Rice Festival, celebrated in the western Trường Sơn region, was officially recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The recognition of the New Rice Festival as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage will provide an opportunity for the local community to preserve its traditional culture, and also promote the festival as a cultural tourism product./.
