(VOVworld) – Xip Xi festival of the white Thai ethnic group in Son La province is held on the 14th day of the 7th lunar month. The festival pays tribute to the Thai ancestors and takes special care of the younger generations.
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| Thai people celebrate Xip Xi festival (Photo: vntimes.com.vn) |
“I like the Xip Xi festival very much. On this day, I am given new clothes and play games such as cloth ball throwing and football”.
That is what Dieu Thi Tuyen of Muong Giang commune, Son La province, feels about her ethnic group’s biggest festival. Xip Xi in Thai language means fourteen, the day the festival is held. It is also called the festival of children, when parents or grandparents give children new clothes. It’s also an occasion to review what was done in the first half of the year. Ha Thi Dieu, a resident of Quang Huy commune, Phu Yen district, Son La province, told VOV: “Xip Xi festival is also called children’s festival. Because they have to tend buffaloes, they bring with them food such as sticky rice, meat and cakes to celebrate the event. They wear new clothes which are either home-made or bought in the market. Adolescents and children in our village feel happy about the festival”.
The festival usually includes two parts: worshiping rituals and cultural performances. In the first part, items offered to the ancestors include rice wine, meat, and colored, steamed sticky rice. Duck and It cakes are a must. It cake is made of high-quality sticky rice flour and filled with a mixture of beans, minced pork and pepper. The egg-shaped cake is wrapped in banana leaves, tied with bamboo strings and steamed in a wooden steamer. It cake is served with duck. It is said that ducks are associated with rice fields, streams, and farming activities. Duck is offered to the ancestors to pray for good luck, while It cakes, which are arranged in pairs, symbolize couples’ happiness.
The Xip Xi festival is attended by every family or clan. After the worshiping rituals, family members sit together around a food tray and enjoy the feast. Young people wish their elder longevity and the grown-ups hope for the kids’ good health and joy. White Thai people love to show hospitality to guests. The more guests a family has, the more luck is believed to come to them. People eat and drink for their enjoyment, but refrain from getting drunk. Ha Ho Bac is a resident of Huy Tan commune, Phu Yen district: “We celebrate our Xip Xi festival in a healthy and frugal manner. We do not drink too much to avoid traffic accidents”.
During the festival, villagers sing love songs, dance and play traditional games such as cloth ball throwing and stick pulling.