Unique Xip Xi New Year ritual of the White Thai people

According to the concept of the White Thai people in Son La , Tet Xip Xi is the day for descendants to turn to their ancestors, and is also an occasion for adults to pay special attention and care to the younger generation.

The Xip Xi New Year ritual of the White Thai people in Phu Yen and Quynh Nhai districts, Son La province has just been awarded a certificate of national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism .

The Xip Xi New Year procession in Quang Huy commune, Phu Yen district, Son La province.

Held on the 14th day of the 7th lunar month every year, Tet Xip Xi has a tray of offerings to worship the soul and pray for luck for each individual, family, and clan in the village; pray for favorable weather and wind; pray for gods and ancestors to bless children with good health, good appetite, fast growth, and no illness.

Offerings include: duck meat, chicken, smoked pork, Chinese sausage, grilled fish (Pa pỉnh tộp), vegetable salad, canh bon, canh chua, khau cam (5-color or 7-color dyed sticky rice), bánh it (sticky rice cake), and humped chung cake.

Tet Xip Xi usually cannot lack "nhụe tô pet" (duck meat) because ducks are closely associated with rice fields and rivers. Offering duck meat means wanting the duck to eat all the insects that harm the rice, and the duck will bring bad luck and bad omens that will drift away with the water.

After the offering, family members will sit together around the offering tray; children wish the elderly a long life, adults pray for the young to be happy and healthy.

During the meal, family members will chat happily, wish each other well and sing together. That day, the children will be able to go out and have fun.

The recognition of the Xip Xi New Year Ritual of the White Thai people as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage is a source of honor and pride for the White Thai community in Phu Yen and Quynh Nhai districts.

This is the driving force for the Party Committee, government and people of Phu Yen and Quynh Nhai districts to promote and introduce the Xip Xi Festival to domestic and foreign tourists, while actively promoting good cultural values, linking intangible cultural heritage with socio -economic development and tourism development.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/doc-dao-nghi-le-tet-xip-xi-cua-nguoi-thai-trang-283082.html