When spring comes, the Dao Tien ethnic people in the northern mountainous district of Moc Chau feel very excited preparing for their Tet (traditional lunar New Year). Children are the most excited.
During Tet the Dao Tien people make glutinous rice cakes, ring bells and hold many religious rites, such as the harvest-praying ceremony and the fire-jumping ceremony. The children wear traditional outfits and play folk games related to their existence and development concepts.
The children often go out together in the yard of the village patriarch or the plum and peach forests for their meetings. Regardless of their age, the children divide into groups to play games like climbing trees, looking for good hills, picking plums, long-jumping and follow-the-leader. They participate in the games with great joy and their laughter echos throughout the forests of peach and plum trees in bloom.
Brilliant smiles of Dao Tien children during Tet.
During Tet, Dao Tien children wear the most beautiful traditional dresses with many colourful patterns and jewelry.
Little girls wait to catch plums from little boys.
Children play “Follow-the-Leader”.
Participating in the “Long Jump” competition with a dream of of finding a rich land.
A Dao Tien boy prepares his outfit before going out with friends on Tet. 
Traditional games during Tet are good for the children’s health and remind them of their ancestors.
Children play ‘tag’ in a plum tree forest. |
Under the leaf canopy, the children play a game called “looking for good hills”. They form a line and then move and sing children’s songs to criticize those who are lazy in working. It is not until a child falls down that they say loudly together, “This is a good hill” and then start the plum-picking competition. The competition is only for boys. The winner is the fastest, strongest picker of plums.
During Tet, the children usually participate in a “long-jump” competition. It reflects a dream of jumping from this mountain to the other during their emigration to find a rich land to settle down. In the village patriarch’s yard, they jump enthusiastically until darkness falls when they go back home for dinner. They have their own banquet like the adults with glutinous rice cakes, grilled meat and sour meat but they are not allowed to drink alcohol.
The Dao Tien ethnic people believe that the children who win the games will be strong and can go to far fields or deep forests to pick more plums for their parents the next year.
By Thong Thien