H'Mong ethnic people celebrate Lunar New Year

On the 30th of the Lunar December, H'mong households in the two communes of Hang Kia and Pa Co (Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province) often make Banh day (rice cake). The cake is an indispensable dish of the H’Mong people and plays an important role as Chung cake of the Kinh (Viet) people in the Tet.

Households often get pig meat to prepare for a banquet on the Eve of the New Year. The offerings for traditional ancestor worship consist of three banh day (rice cakes), three cups of wine, three sticks of incense, and pig fat candles.

The H'mong ethnic people decorate their houses with peach branches, and do not use farming or hunting tools during the three first days of the Lunar New Year.

They only eat meat, mainly pork, chicken, and rice without soup. According to the customs of the H'mong ethnic people in the two communes, if they have food with soup on the first day of the New Year, their crops will be poor. Especially, they do not buy anything to save their wealth and money.

On the second day of Lunar December, the H'Mong people and children often wear colorful traditional clothes to go out. Various activities such as Pao (silk-ball) throwing, Tu lu (spinning top), and traditional musical instrument performances will be held until the end of Lunar January.

The PANO would like introduce some photos featuring the activities of the H'Mong ethnic people.

Children in colorful traditional costumes

On the 30th of lunar December, the H'Mong ethnic people in the two communes of Hang Kia and Pa Co often make banh giay (rice cake).

Offerings for ancestor worship consist of three banh day (rice cake), three cups of wine, three sticks of incenses, and lit pig fat candles.

H'Mong ethnic people's traditional musical instrument performances

Translated by Lam Anh