During the final days of the year, when heaven and earth harmonize and the harvest season has been overed, the Xe Dang community in Hring hamlet, Cu M’gar commune, eagerly prepare for the New Rice Harvest Festival.

The New Rice Harvest Festival is held at the Hring hamlet communal house on New Year's Day. The offerings are simple, yet solemn, including sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes, pork, field mouse meat and rice wine, which are the products of the sweat and hard work of the villagers after months of diligent labor.

The shaman inviting the deities to witness the sincerity of the community

Amid the sacred atmosphere, the shaman slowly performs the rituals in front of the reverence from the community. Each prayer to Yang (the supreme deity) is an expression of gratitude to the earth, sky, ancestors, mountains, forests, and rivers that have nourished the village; at the same time, it conveys the wish for a peaceful new year, a bountiful harvest, and a harmonious, united, and prosperous village.

The Elder A Mun (from Hring hamlet) said that the Xe Dang people in the village originated from the former Kon Tum province. In 1972, due to war and difficult living conditions, they moved to Ea Yong commune, Krong Pac district (formerly) to live. However, the land there was barren and the economy was difficult to develop, so in 1988, they all settled permanently in Hring hamlet.

The Xe Dang people performing the ritual of welcoming guests to celebrate the new rice harvest festival

While previously the harvest festival was only held within families, it has now become a communal celebration for the entire village. After the ceremony, the festivities unfold with great enthusiasm. The sound of gongs and drums resonates, blending with the graceful dance of Xe Dang women in their unique traditional costumes. Long processions of people and lively folk games create a warm and vibrant festival atmosphere, rich in the cultural identity of the Central Highlands.

The traditional festival not only attracts the elderly but also serves as a spiritual anchor for the younger generation to connect with their roots. Each festival attracts a large number of people and descendants from afar to come and celebrate together.

Amid modern life, the Xe Dang people in Hring hamlet, Cu M'gar commune, still steadfastly preserve the new rice harvest festival as a source of nourishment for the community's spiritual life, contributing to further highlighting the rich and diverse cultural landscape of the ethnic groups in Dak Lak province.

Translated by TRINH THUY