VI
EN
The Ok Om Bok festival is the biggest and most anticipated festival of the year for the Khmer people in Southern Vietnam. The Khmer people perform the Moon Worship ceremony to pray for a year of favorable weather, abundant harvests, and happiness for the villagers. For the Khmer, the moon is considered a deity that regulates the seasons and blesses the people with prosperity throughout the year; therefore, every household participates in the Moon Worship ceremony on this day. The festival usually takes place in provinces such as Tra Vinh and Soc Trang, where the Khmer ethnic group lives in large numbers.
The Khmer people pound glutinous rice into flattened rice flakes, along with other crops such as sweet potatoes, taro, fruits, and sweets, to offer as gifts to the moon.
Next comes the construction of the bamboo gate. The gate is made of leaves and flowers, with two bamboo poles as pillars and coconut leaves forming the horizontal arch. Above the gate, the Khmer people hang a string of 12 betel leaves coiled into a circle, symbolizing the 12 months of the year, and a string of 7 areca nuts, their shells split open like the wings of a bee, symbolizing the 7 days of the week. Below the bamboo gate, offerings to the moon are neatly arranged to show reverence to the Moon god.
With preparations for the offerings complete, on the night of the 14th or 15th of the full moon (the main day of the festival), when the moon is high in the sky, the villagers gather in the temple courtyard or their homes, facing the moon to perform the ceremony. Both the elderly and young children participate in the ceremony. The chief officiant, the oldest person in the village or household, prays, expressing gratitude to the Moon God, asking the Moon God to accept the offerings and grant everyone good health and a bountiful harvest.
After the offering ceremony, the master of ceremonies will feed flattened rice cakes to the children, gently pat their backs a few times, and ask about their wishes. The Khmer people believe that the wishes of the children will be a source of faith and motivation for the adults in the coming year.
According to Khmer tradition, after the Moon Worship ceremony, the festival activities begin, the most distinctive being the Ngo boat race. This is a traditional ritual to bid farewell to the water god after the planting season, returning him to the sea. It is also a religious ceremony commemorating the ancient serpent god Naga who transformed into a log to carry Buddha across the river.
The traditional boat race is a lively and exciting event, attracting a large number of locals and tourists. Teams come from many localities within the province or the surrounding region. The boats are approximately 22-24 meters long and 1.2 meters wide, with 50 to 60 oarsmen. Nowadays, due to the lack of large single-log boats, these boats are constructed from many long planks joined together. The bow and stern are curved, the hull is decorated with colorful patterns, and the front of the boat features an animal symbol representing the boat. A long pole, called a "fishing rod" (donxanh tuôk), is placed under the hull to maintain balance and propel the boat forward.
On the river, the racing teams competed enthusiastically, while on the shore, the boisterous cheers of the people, along with the sounds of gongs, singing, and chanting, created a particularly impressive festive atmosphere. Boat racing has become a traditional cultural and sporting event for the Khmer people.
Besides the traditional boat race, the festival also includes many other activities such as playing traditional games like "co con" and "bi bo" (a type of chess), performing the Ram Vong dance, and releasing floating lanterns. Floating lanterns are made from banana stalks and leaves, shaped like temples, and decorated with colorful patterns. A banner is hung from the top of each lantern, surrounded by candles and incense sticks, and inside are offerings for chanting prayers in remembrance of Buddha, while also apologizing to the Earth and Water gods for polluting the water sources and digging up the land.
With its rich traditional rituals and vibrant festival activities of the Khmer people in the Southwestern region of Vietnam, the Ok Om Bok festival is sure to attract a large number of Khmer people, domestic and international tourists.
In 2018, Tra Vinh province had the honor of hosting the "Southern Culture, Tourism and Food Festival Week" associated with the Ok Om Bok festival on a provincial scale, taking place from November 16th to November 22nd, 2018 in Tra Vinh city, Tra Vinh province.
