“Gia ra” is the biggest festival in a year for the Cor ethnic minoritygroup, who live mainly in the central province of Quang Ngai’s Tay Traand Tra Bong districts as they mark the end of a rice crop,traditionally lasting one year.
The Gia ra festival, usuallytaking place from the 10th to the 11th month on the lunar calendar,is important to them just like the Lunar New Year holiday to the Kinhpeople, the ethnic majority group in Vietnam. It is different from the“com moi”(new rice) ceremony, which marks the start of the harvest time.
After harvesting rice and placing all the rice grains in thestorage hut, the village elderly will choose good days for the festival,intended as an occasion for all villagers to show their gratitude togods who gave them a bumper crop and have some leisure time afterhardworking days.
On the day before the festival, the head of thefamily will wrap some rice grains in wild banana leaves, putting one ofthese parcels at the rice storage hut and bringing home the other toinvite the rice soul to his house.
The family’s head will rubgrains in his hands and then put them on each family member’s head towish for good luck in the coming year. Women in the village gather tomake glutinous rice cakes wrapped in “dot” leaves to offer to ancestorsand the gods of rivers, streams, mountains, and forests.
At dawnof the first day of the festival, the family’s head will invite gods andancestors to join his family during the three-day festival. He and hiseldest son will sit in front of the altar full of offerings such as ratmeat, rice cakes, and alcohol, and say the prayers for three times,namely “Mo Huyt am ba” (Mistress Huyt gives rice), “Mo Rit am ba”(Mistress Rit gives rice), and “Mo Crai am ba” (Mistress Crai givesrice). Then, they will place some cooked glutinous rice grains on familymembers’ heads in order to keep the rice soul.
The Cor peoplebelieve that female gods are busy from early morning like women, sorituals must be done early so that they can begin their workday soon.Meanwhile, rituals worshipping male gods and ancestors are usually doneafter 8am.
After worshipping male gods, a ritual will be held tomove the rice god from the house to the rice storage hut. For thispurpose, nine knots will be tied in a white thread resembling a ladderfor the rice god to climb to the rice storage hut on the field to watchover the crop.
In the following days, more rituals will beconducted to pay respect to different gods praying for prosperity, goodharvest and good animal breeding
The Cor people also believe thatthe more guests a family receives during the Gia ra festival, theluckier they are in the new year. Therefore, local residents alwayswarmly welcome guests, and people from nearby villages also come tovisit and wish one another a happy new year.
During Gia ra,natives also organise folk games such as archery, wrestling, javelin,cake making, and rice pounding, along with singing and dancingperformances with traditional musical instruments like Amap, a smallpanpipe used only by Cor women, and gongs.
In the past, eachfamily took turn to celebrate Gia ra festival, making the festival lastfor one or even two months in a village. Nowadays, Gia ra has becomemuch simpler and takes place for only three days. It is also a chance todiscuss preparations for a new rice crop.-VNA
The Gia ra festival, usuallytaking place from the 10th to the 11th month on the lunar calendar,is important to them just like the Lunar New Year holiday to the Kinhpeople, the ethnic majority group in Vietnam. It is different from the“com moi”(new rice) ceremony, which marks the start of the harvest time.
After harvesting rice and placing all the rice grains in thestorage hut, the village elderly will choose good days for the festival,intended as an occasion for all villagers to show their gratitude togods who gave them a bumper crop and have some leisure time afterhardworking days.
On the day before the festival, the head of thefamily will wrap some rice grains in wild banana leaves, putting one ofthese parcels at the rice storage hut and bringing home the other toinvite the rice soul to his house.
The family’s head will rubgrains in his hands and then put them on each family member’s head towish for good luck in the coming year. Women in the village gather tomake glutinous rice cakes wrapped in “dot” leaves to offer to ancestorsand the gods of rivers, streams, mountains, and forests.
At dawnof the first day of the festival, the family’s head will invite gods andancestors to join his family during the three-day festival. He and hiseldest son will sit in front of the altar full of offerings such as ratmeat, rice cakes, and alcohol, and say the prayers for three times,namely “Mo Huyt am ba” (Mistress Huyt gives rice), “Mo Rit am ba”(Mistress Rit gives rice), and “Mo Crai am ba” (Mistress Crai givesrice). Then, they will place some cooked glutinous rice grains on familymembers’ heads in order to keep the rice soul.
The Cor peoplebelieve that female gods are busy from early morning like women, sorituals must be done early so that they can begin their workday soon.Meanwhile, rituals worshipping male gods and ancestors are usually doneafter 8am.
After worshipping male gods, a ritual will be held tomove the rice god from the house to the rice storage hut. For thispurpose, nine knots will be tied in a white thread resembling a ladderfor the rice god to climb to the rice storage hut on the field to watchover the crop.
In the following days, more rituals will beconducted to pay respect to different gods praying for prosperity, goodharvest and good animal breeding
The Cor people also believe thatthe more guests a family receives during the Gia ra festival, theluckier they are in the new year. Therefore, local residents alwayswarmly welcome guests, and people from nearby villages also come tovisit and wish one another a happy new year.
During Gia ra,natives also organise folk games such as archery, wrestling, javelin,cake making, and rice pounding, along with singing and dancingperformances with traditional musical instruments like Amap, a smallpanpipe used only by Cor women, and gongs.
In the past, eachfamily took turn to celebrate Gia ra festival, making the festival lastfor one or even two months in a village. Nowadays, Gia ra has becomemuch simpler and takes place for only three days. It is also a chance todiscuss preparations for a new rice crop.-VNA
