Going to the Spring Festival and having fun with blindfolded people smashing clay pots

For a long time, folk games have become an indispensable part of traditional festivals in the Land of Ancestors. If the ceremony is performed with sacred rituals to show respect and gratitude to the ancestors, the festival is even more jubilant and bustling with cultural and artistic activities and unique folk games. Here, visitors are not only immersed in the unique cultural and religious space, but also experience unique folk games. Over time, the game of blindfolded clay pot smashing still retains its appeal and unique cultural value, demonstrating the connection between generations and the preservation of Vietnamese cultural values.

Blindfolded pot smashing is a unique folk game at Lang Suong Temple Festival.

Known as one of the three major festivals of the Ancestral Land, along with the Hung Temple Festival (Viet Tri city) and the Au Co Temple Festival (Ha Hoa district), the Lang Suong Temple Festival (Dong Trung commune, Thanh Thuy district) is held on the 14th and 15th of the first lunar month every year to commemorate the merits of Duc Thanh Tan, his family and two generals. Among the indispensable activities in the festival, the blindfolded pot smashing game is always loved and welcomed by many tourists. In the playground area, there are cheers, laughter and bustling voices, everyone eagerly waiting to try their luck and dexterity.

For the first time trying out pot smashing at the festival, Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh, 53 years old, a tourist from Viet Tri, couldn’t help but feel nervous and excited. After her eyes were blindfolded with a bright red cloth, at the command of the organizers, Ms. Minh carefully walked forward step by step following the crowd’s instructions. From the starting line to the pot smashing point was about 3m, the distance, although not far, was enough to challenge the player’s ability to judge direction.

Many ages participate in games at the Hung King Festival teaching people to plant rice (Viet Tri city).

Ms. Minh excitedly shared: “This game seems easy but is actually difficult. The difficulty is that when the eyes are blindfolded, the ability to orient is limited. Despite the enthusiastic support of the audience standing around, not everyone can find the right position and break the clay pot. I was lucky to hit it, but the force was still weak so I could not break the pot. Although I did not win the prize, I was very happy because the most important thing was to participate in the folk game that was associated with my childhood, enjoy the joyful atmosphere of the festival and create more laughter for everyone."

Besides other folk games such as: Blindfolded duck catching, blindfolded drum beating..., blindfolded pot smashing is a popular folk game that contributes to many large and small festivals in all localities such as: Hung Temple Festival, King Hung teaching people to plant rice festival, Hung Lo Communal House Festival (Viet Tri city), Ngu Giap Communal House Festival (Man Lan commune, Thanh Ba district), Vinh Xa Communal House Festival (Ha Giap commune, Phu Ninh district),...

But wherever it is, this folk game is always a spiritual food that is widely welcomed by the people, because this game is not simply a game of entertainment, but it also deeply reflects the cultural and traditional values ​​of the Vietnamese people. It is closely associated with traditional customs and is a way to show respect to ancestors. This is also an opportunity for the younger generations to understand and preserve precious cultural values.

Through participating in this game, people not only experience joy, practice dexterity and sharpness in judgment, but also feel the solidarity and spirit of community, strive to rise together and always have faith in good things.

Thuy Phuong

Source: https://baophutho.vn/tray-hoi-xuan-vui-tro-bit-mat-dap-nieu-dat-228301.htm