Tay residents in Mau Due Due commune, Yen Minh district, Ha Giang province organize a fish festival to pray for favorable weather and good harvest, as well as to commemorate the hard work that brought to Tay residents here. wet rice farming.
Besides the need to satisfy the needs of spiritual life, this is also the opportunity for children in the village, the parents are shopping for new clothes to hang out with them; is an opportunity for young men and women to have the opportunity to get to know each other. At the same time, it is also a chance for the brothers and sisters to meet each other, drink together with a cup of wine, eat fish dishes and tell each other stories about the village, production experience, hunting ... and in this life, we have come to know each other better, unite to help each other make progress.
"Tet fish" in the life of the Tày people in Mau Due Commune
Every year, on September 9, the Tay families in Mau Due Commune, Yen Minh District, Ha Giang Province, whether rich or poor, must have a good meal to invite their cousins.
Fish were removed and caught in the field by the 7th or at the latest on the 8th. The Tet holiday atmosphere begins when the fish are caught. Children are specially prepared Tet toys by their parents, they catch small fishes, string them in their mouths, make small rafts with chit trees and then tie them in. After that, the children took them to drop down in the small streams around the village, they competed to see which ones pulled better, after they finished playing, they brought the fish back to their parents to feed, according to their concept. The strong fish and rafts brought to children to eat, it will be healthy and will grow quickly.
After finishing the afternoon of the 8th dish, some dishes must be cooked that afternoon to worship. At noon on the ninth day of the year to worship again and then invite guests, the men have the task of bringing fish from the field, the fish removal job is forced to be mother-in-law or daughter-in-law, the fish must be operated under the altar. Firstly, during pecking fish, absolutely do not talk, do not allow anyone to peek at because according to the Tày people's opinion, this is a sacred ritual, if let other people see then the fish processed for worship will not be flexible. sacred anymore, the ancestors will not bless. Those families that do not have a door, not discreet home, they must hook under the altar for surgery. The dishes made from fish are quite rich and varied, according to the traditional concept of processing for 12 dishes, including dishes such as:
Grilled fish (Pang): compulsory grilled fish when making this dish must have 12 equal carp, at least 100g each. Fish were removed by intestines, washed, salted a little salt (depending on taste), the fish was meticulously stuffed with ginger leaves in the mouth, then poked directly into the mouth, making this way the fish is not bent. Grilled fish dishes are usually made from the 8th, usually pre-baked, baked 9.
Sour bamboo shoots (Pang Mooc): Fish have been cleaned, sour bamboo shoots are squeezed out of water, perilla is washed and drained, dried with salt and noodles, depending on the taste mixed, then wrapped in a forest tree to bring things.
Salad (prab lemongrass): Fish is scabbed to get the sliced meat, put it on paper, put on the ashes of the kitchen to absorb water, the head and tail are small roasted gold, hearing is made from pumpkin seeds or soybeans, Thai sour leaves Small, after preparing, mix well. This is a dish made from fish, which is very popular among the Tay and Nung people.
Millet guts: The fish are raised in the field, the food is completely from the wild, the fish have been locked up so the gut is very clean, leaving only the bile to be used. This dish is a simple way to get intestines to mix gold millet seeds, then pack forest leaves.
Fish cooked with sour (bung) soup: The fish is extracted from the honey and mixed with bamboo shoots from the time of cold water, the salt of noodles depending on the taste, put into the pot so that it does not need to stir.
Fillers are small fish with two fingers, the fish is pecked, cleaned and then put in green beans or soybeans a little pepper, cardamom, ginger. When eating this dish is very delicious without the fishy smell of the fish. In addition, there are a number of dishes such as fried fish, fish cooked with fruit soup ...
Rituals are conducted during the Tet holiday
9th is the main day of "Tet fish", almost all Tay families usually eat Tet starting at noon. After the dishes are cooked, before the meal, there is always a worship ceremony, the worshiper is the breadwinner in the family, the offerings always have 2 main dishes: grilled fish with ginger leaves. Pang) and fish cooked in sour bamboo shoots (Pangolin).
While the man worshiped, the old woman, with the role of the family to invite guests, the invited guests were cousins around. The Tày people here on New Year's custom is that each family is invited to send a member to eat, the Tày people call it "exchange", the one who usually goes to drink alcohol. If the invited family does not have a member to go, it will be considered disregard for the inviting family and certainly they will not come to that family to play on Tet holiday.
Each family and clan when they worship has a way of confessing them when inviting ancestors to celebrate Tet. But the content of offerings in "fish festival" is exactly the same. "The teacher came and invited me. Inviting ancestors to eat boiled offerings. Invite him to eat dried fish. Invite him to eat fish cooked with sour bamboo shoots. Invite grandparents to eat dried fish I make delicious. Invite grandparents to drink full, let them drink enough. Grandparents support children and grandchildren. Support the long way, take me to the desert. Help my whole family be safe. "
After worshiping, waiting for a week to go out, guests to many families began to celebrate New Year, while eating the elders were sitting on the tray, near the altar itself; descendants gather around. During the meal, they would drink toast to each other health and wish the next crop will get more rice.
"Tet fish" is one of the great ceremonies of the Tay people here. Generally in the "Tet fish" the Tay do not organize games, they just organize eating and drinking to each other's house to play and wish each other good things.
Before leaving the house of the host, the guests often sing and donate traditional "glides" of their people, expressing thanks to the family for a good meal and not forgetting to send greetings. /
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