The first trip of the year is not only an opportunity to reunite with the warm stilt house of grandmother, but also a journey back to childhood, with the bustling atmosphere of the Long Tong festival (landing festival) in Na Lung village, Kien Dai commune, Tuyen Quang province.
In Kien Dai commune, every Tet holiday, spring comes, villages and hamlets successively organize Long Tong festivals - long-standing traditional festivals associated with the production and spiritual cultural life of the Tay ethnic people - on a small scale of each village and hamlet.
As a tradition, the Tong festival during the Lunar New Year is held by villages successively from the 2nd day of Tet, starting from the 2nd day in Na Bo village or Na Lung village, the 3rd day in Bo Heo village or Na Lang village, the 4th day festival in Khun Trai village, the 5th day festival in Khun Vai village, the 6th day in Tang Khiec village... By the 12th day of the first lunar month, the Ban Ho Tong festival - recognized as a provincial cultural heritage from 2013 - is considered the latest in January in the Kien Dai commune area.
Unlike the large-scale organization such as the Ban Ho Tong festival, which has become a spring cultural event of Kien Dai commune, the Tong festival in villages, such as Na Lung and Na Bo, is expected because it is held on the 2nd day of Tet, opening the series of New Year festivals after the 1st day of Tet for families.
From morning, the road leading to the village was filled with laughter. In the familiar wooden house, Ms. Ha Le's grandmother was busy preparing a New Year's meal with traditional dishes, a very unique warm feeling of the highland Tet holiday.
Every 2nd day of Tet, the whole family comes to wish Tet to grandparents. Children are excited to go to festivals, adults gather to chat. Every year is the same but never bored" - Ms. Ha Le shared.
In the atmosphere of Tet reunion, Mrs. Nhan - Ms. Ha Le's grandmother - affectionately looked at her children and grandchildren gathering. "Tet when children and grandchildren come home fully is the happiest. When there is laughter at home, I feel warm. I just hope every year I can keep this habit so that the children remember their families, remember their homeland" - Mrs. Nhan said.
The lunch on the 2nd day of Tet at grandma's house is not just a reunion meal, it is also an opportunity for generations in the family to meet, tell each other old and new stories, and maintain a strong bond between modern life.
After lunch, the extended family immersed themselves in the atmosphere of the Tong festival. Everyone, of all ages, from all neighboring villages flocked to watch the festival. The elderly met old friends, young people who went to school and work far away returned to their hometowns to celebrate Tet, holding hands and greeting each other, laughter and laughter were bustling.
The sounds of instruments, singing, and greetings to celebrate the beginning of the year echo in the mountains and forests, creating a vivid spring picture.
Amidst the modern pace of life, many customs are gradually changing, but the Long Tong festival in the highlands of Tuyen Quang still retains its inherent rusticness.
Tong festivals usually consist of 2 parts: The ritual part usually begins with solemn worshiping rituals performed by shamans (Tao masters). The festival part takes place with many cultural and artistic activities and unique folk games, attracting a large number of people to participate.
