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In the ritual system of the Cor ethnic group in Quang Nam, the rain-praying ceremony is an important and long-standing ritual, performed whenever there is a prolonged drought.
During the ceremony, the entire village participates, with the village elder acting as the master of ceremonies, offering prayers for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, prosperity for the village, plenty of pigs and chickens, strong sons like sturdy trees, and gentle daughters like streams and rivers.
“The rain-praying festival of the Cor ethnic group is conducted with indoor rituals followed by outdoor offerings. The offerings include pork, chicken, wine, rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves, bamboo-cooked rice, boiled sticky rice, and boiled cassava. In addition, dried products such as porcupines or squirrels are indispensable offerings,” said the chief officiant, Ho Van Nghia.
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| The ritual takes place indoors. |
The rain-praying festival of the Cor ethnic group holds significant importance in the spiritual life of the Cor people in Bac Tra My district, Quang Nam province. It helps connect people with deities and contributes to preserving and conserving the beautiful cultural aspects of ethnic minority communities in general and the Cor people in particular.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dao (Quoc Oai, Hanoi), a visitor to the festival, said: "This is the first time I've seen such a unique and fascinating festival of the Cor people in Quang Ngai right here in Hanoi without having to travel far. I also hope that the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village will organize more reenactments of ethnic festivals so that people from all over the country can visit and learn about the beautiful cultural traditions of ethnic groups across Vietnam."
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| Rain-praying ritual performed outdoors. |
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| The energetic Cor girls perform a rain-praying dance. |
The rain-praying festival of the Cor ethnic group was the final activity concluding the series of events in the 2014 "Spring Colors Across the Nation" festival at the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village. Over the past few days, the various ethnic communities have gathered together, bringing to the common home of the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village the unique cultural features of their respective ethnic groups, creating a spring filled with the solidarity of the 54 ethnic groups.
