When the Tay finish transplant rice seedlings on terraced fields, they organize a ceremony to thank the buffalos. (Photo: VOV)

The Tay and Nung consider the buffalo their most precious asset. Buffalos can do the plowing to help them grow rice on terraced fields, on which it is almost impossible to use machines. The ceremony to show gratitude to the buffalo is held on June 6 of the lunar calendar.

Hoang Thi Nhuan, a member of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association, who has many research projects on the Tay-Nung culture, said that the ritual, called “Khoan vai”, worship ancestors and the genie who protects livestock. The offerings are prepared many days in advance.

On the ceremonial day, all villagers get up early to clean the buffalo barns and stick red paper on all columns in the barn and the buffalos’ horns to ward off evil spirits and pray for good luck, according to Ms. Nhuan.

She said that the Tay and Nung depend on wet rice cultivation. In the past, buffaloes used to be the main work force in farm work. After the transplanting of rice seedlings, the buffaloes can rest.
“As the Tay and Nung people believe that the buffalo’s body and soul are tired from plowing, they organize a ceremony to call the souls of the buffalos back to their bodies. Every family makes cakes and vermicelli. Vermicelli is indispensable because it symbolizes the wish for favorable rain and wind to water the newly planted rice fields,” said Ms. Nhuan.
The Tay and Nung consider the buffalo their most precious asset. (Photo: VOV)

“On the 6th day of the 6th lunar month, all families make many types of cakes and prepare chickens and ducks. We uphold our customs to organize this festival as big as the 7th full-moon,” Nong Thi Hanh of Cao Bang province said.

“All families hold a big ceremony. We place a whole boiled chicken on the altar and make many types of cakes. After worshiping, all family members have a meal together,” said villager Nong Thi Anh.

Offerings of the “Khoan vai” ceremony often have duck meat, buffalo-horn shape cakes, vermicelli, liquor, fruits, and votive paper. The house owner arranges the offerings on the altar and prays to the deities to protect the buffalos so they can continue to help people plow fields.

After the worship, the owner tows the buffalos and carries farm tools to the stream to clean them. Before having lunch, they feed the buffalos with the worshipped cakes and vermicelli.

“In my village, we make cakes and vermicelli to worship and then eat the offerings. After plowing and transplanting rice seeds, we clean the farm tools, have a meal to celebrate, and let the buffalo rest,” Ha Thi Y, a Tay woman in Cao Bang province, said.

The “Khoan vai” festival is a fine custom of the Tay and Nung. It’s an occasion to tighten family and community bond and promote their age-old culture.