The Tu Cai Ceremony of the Dao people in Tam Duong: A milestone of maturity and cultural identity

In the life of the Dao Dau Bang community in Tam Duong, Lai Chau province, the Tu Cai ceremony is a ritual marking the maturity of a son. The Dao people here believe that, in order to be recognized by the community and to be able to return to their ancestors after death, every son must undergo this ritual.

Tu Cai Ceremony of the Dao Dau Bang community, Lai Chau province. (Photo: VU LINH)

The Tu Cai Ceremony is usually held in winter or early spring. This is the idle time of the year when the harvest season has ended. The ceremony is carefully prepared and has deep meaning both spiritually and culturally.

When a family has a child of age to perform the ritual, the father will proactively invite a shaman in the village and prepare full offerings such as pigs, chickens, wine, and rice to perform the ritual.

The ritual is performed by shamans. They are people who hold a special role in the Dao community, are very knowledgeable about traditional rituals and pass on ethnic cultural knowledge through each generation.

During the ceremony, the shaman performs rituals to invite ancestors and gods to witness the sincerity and prayers of the homeowner, and the son officially joins the ranks of adults in the community.

The Dao people believe that only after performing the Tu Cai ceremony will a man be truly qualified to take on important tasks in the clan and community such as getting married, building a house, holding funerals and participating in clan meetings.

Through the ritual, the Dao people educate their children about filial piety, gratitude to ancestors, attachment to their roots and human morality. Tu Cai ceremony is also an opportunity for the Dao community to strengthen relationships within the clan and village.

The festival space becomes an environment to nurture community sentiment, connect generations and strengthen social relationships. In particular, performing arts, ritual music , worship paintings, costumes and culinary elements all reflect the rich identity of the Dao people.

Due to the impact of modern life, many traditional rituals in mountainous provinces and highlands are facing the risk of being lost. However, the Tu Cai ceremony is still preserved by the Dao Dau Bang people in Tam Duong as part of the cultural flow of the nation.

Preserving rituals not only helps the Dao community develop sustainably but also contributes to maintaining its identity in the context of integration.

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/le-tu-cai-cua-nguoi-dao-dau-bang-o-tam-duong-dau-moc-truong-thanh-va-ban-sac-van-hoa-post891001.html