Festivals
in October 2005
Bac Giang
Thang Village Festival
Time:
The 7th day of the
ninth lunar month.
Place:
Thang Communal House,
Duc Thang Commune, Hiep Hoa District, Bac Giang
Province.
Objects
of worship:
Khong
Minh Khong (the bonze of Ly Dynasty) - the ancestor
of forge and Duong Tu Minh (a general of Ly
Dynasty).
Characteristics:
Sacrifices-offering
ceremony and displaying forge instruments, contest
of running to vie for flags, vying for ball
and giving a feast to the troops in the middle
of communal house's yard.
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Nam
Dinh
Co Tung Hamlet Festival
Time:
1st day of the ninth
lunar month.
Place:
Nam Hong Commune,
Nam Truc District, Nam Dinh Province.
Objects of honour:
Village's tutelary
god - Pham Hoang Giap, who had merit of fighting
aggressors on sea.
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Thai
Binh
Am
Pagoda Festival
Time:The
2nd day of the ninth lunar month.
Place:
Vu Tay Commune,
Kien Xuong District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects
of worship:
Nguyen Minh Khong
- the teacher of the prince who had merit of
treating King Ly Than Tong of hoa ho (behaviour
and action of a tiger) disease
Characteristics:
Procession, incense
- offering ceremony, praying, boat racing (tell
the old tale of Nguyen Minh Khong).
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Con Giang Festival
Time:
9th day of the
ninth lunar month.
Place:
Thai Ha Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh
Province.
Objects of honour:
Quach Huu Nghiem,
a famous cultural activist in Thai Binh during
the 15th century.
Characteristics:
Procession, worshipping,
wrestling, martial art, cock fighting.
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Ha Dong Festival
Time:
From the 9th to
the 15th day of the ninth lunar month.
Place:Thuy
Son Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh Province.
Objects of worship:
Nguyen Uy and his
mother, King An Duong Vuong, Mai Cong Phuc.
Characteristics:
Procession from
Mau Temple to communal house (dancing and beating
ngu lien drum). The rite of procession is held
in daylight; incense and flower offering is
held at night. Traditional folk games: Chinese
chess, wrestling, cock fighting, duck catching,
trai racing.
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Tu Cac Festival
Time:
The 10th day of
the ninth lunar month.
Place:
Thai Hoa Commune, Thai Thuy District, Thai Binh
Province.
Objects of honour:
Ly Nam De - King
of Van Xuan (in the Early Ly Dynasty).
Characteristics:Celebrating
the victory day of defeating Luong troop, establishing
Van Xuan country. The festival involves a procession
and pig offering, swinging, wrestling.
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Hanoi
Ung Thien Communal House Festival
Time:
6th to 8th day
of the third lunar month and the 26th day of
the ninth lunar month.
Place:
Lang Ha Ward, Dong
Da District, Hanoi.
Objects
of worship:
Goddess Nguyen
quan hau tho; Linh Lang, Tu Nuong ton than,
Cao Son Royal Highest, Princess Vinh Gia.
Characteristics:
Worshipping Mother
in the communal house, washing statue ceremony,
sacrifices - offering ceremony, incense offering.
The festival takes place at three villages (Lang
Thuong, Lang Trung, Lang Ha) at the same time.
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Binh
Thuan
Dinh Thay Temple Festival
Time:
From the 15th to the 16th day of the ninth lunar
month.
Place:Dinh
Thay Temple, La Gi Town, Binh Thuan Province.
Objects
of worship:
Thay and Thim,
wife and husband who had merit of treating disease
for poor people.
Characteristics:
Vegetarian meal
worshipping in the everning of the 15th day,
vegetarian meal and meat meal worshipping on
the 16th day, sortileging, casting a horoscope.
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An
Giang
Dolta Ceremony and Ox Racing Festival
Time:
From the 29th day
of the eighth lunar month to the 1st day of
the ninth lunar month.
Place:
In pagodas, or
at each household of the Khmer people in Tri
Ton or Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province.
Objects
of worship:
In
remembrance of ancestral merits and wishing
happiness and peace for the deceased’s
souls.
Characteristics:
Ox racing according to traditional ritual of
the Khmer people.
