Full moon of July in Ban Bung

From the beginning of the seventh lunar month, ethnic people in many localities have been busy preparing to celebrate the full moon. For the Dao Tien people, the full moon of the seventh lunar month is also considered a New Year's Day.

In Ban Bung, before the full moon, the yard of each family was covered with banana leaves drying lines. The village elders recall that in the past, to prepare for the full moon of the seventh lunar month, people had to start a month in advance. When the harvest season had just ended, the men in the village would go to the forest to collect firewood, while the mothers and sisters would go to collect banana leaves and dry them in time to make cakes.

By the 13th day of the 7th lunar month, preparations had to be completed, because from the 14th day, people started to celebrate the full moon festival, so that on the 15th day they would return to their maternal home. From the afternoon of the 13th, every family had wrapped cakes and made soaked vermicelli. In addition to familiar cakes such as mugwort cakes, banana root cakes, gai cakes, etc., banh chung is an indispensable dish on the full moon day here.

On the 14th, small families will gather at the ancestral altar to celebrate the full moon. Unlike many other places, people here do not eat duck but eat rooster and fish noodles. The fish is caught in the stream the previous afternoon, and early the next morning it is grilled over hot coals, chopped, fried with spices until fragrant, then used as a filling for noodles with chicken broth. This is a special dish that the Dao Tien people look forward to on the full moon day of the seventh lunar month every year.

On the 15th, from early morning, families went to their maternal home. The Dao people believe that the full moon of the seventh lunar month is the most important occasion of the year for married daughters to return to visit their parents, show filial piety and strengthen family ties. This is the time of leisure after the harvest, daughters can stay at their maternal home longer, gather with their parents, share business and life.

The essentials of the trip to the maternal home are a fat rooster, a pair of banh chung (square sticky rice cakes), and a pair of banh chuoi (a banana cake). In addition, the daughter will bring home a piece of indigo fabric for her mother. This is a special gift, the indigo color symbolizes longevity, and the fabric, woven and dyed by the daughter herself, contains her love and gratitude to her parents.

For married girls, the 15th of July is the occasion to return to visit their parents and stay the longest in the year, so preparations are always thorough and full of excitement.

When arriving, the son-in-law will slaughter a chicken, set up a tray of offerings to the ancestors, and inform them that he and his wife and children have returned home, wishing them peace, health, and prosperity.

Ms. Trieu Thi Huyen, a resident of Ban Bung, shared: That was many years ago, now life is better, no longer having to prepare every little thing by hand. However, people still maintain many old customs, the only difference is that instead of indigo fabric, gifts are now more practical items such as clothes, household items...

The full moon of the seventh lunar month of the Dao Tien people is not only an occasion for family reunion and showing respect to ancestors, but also a way for the community to preserve customs and foster identity in the modern flow. From the family meal to the sticky rice gifts, from the banh chung to the bowl of fish noodles, all contain the meaning of connection, so that each full moon season that passes, the Dao Tien culture continues and shines.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202509/ram-thang-bay-o-ban-bung-dbe6fbe/