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Experience traditional festivals in Sapa on the occasion of Lunar New Year 2025
Lunar New Year in Sapa is the time when you can immerse yourself in the unique and interesting festivals of ethnic minorities. Tet festival here has a strong cultural identity, with meaningful traditional customs. Let’s explore the interesting things during Lunar New Year in Sapa!
Tet in Sapa, you will see the festival atmosphere filling all the villages, Tet customs often include worshiping, visiting relatives, and participating in traditional cultural activities such as xoe dancing and playing folk games. The Black Mong, Red Dao, Giay, Xa Pho, and Tay people all have special customs to welcome the new year such as:
TET NHAY FESTIVAL
Every year, when Tet comes, the Red Dao community in Ta Van, Sapa organizes a unique festival, which is the Tet Nhay festival.
The dance festival is held at the head of the family’s house at the end of the Dragon hour and the beginning of the Snake hour on the first and second day of the Lunar New Year.
After completing the ceremony of reporting to the ancestors, the shaman and the assistants will dance 14 dances. Each dance has different movements, with high symbolic meaning. They carry the meaning of opening the way and driving away evil spirits. The festival is a synthesis of many art forms, including songs about the merits of ancestors, the history of the family, farming activities, weaving, hunting, etc. Tourists coming here can also immerse themselves in the atmosphere of this festival.
GOING TO THE FIELD FESTIVAL
The going to the field festival is a unique cultural feature of the Tay, Dao, Xa Pho, Mong ethnic groups… in Ban Ho commune, Sapa, held on the 8th day of the Lunar New Year every year. The festival begins with the procession of land and water, followed by the artistic activities of the Dao and Tay people. The festival is meant to pray for good crops, favorable weather and peace for the people.
Sapa festival attracts many tourists and locals to participate
GAU TAO FESTIVAL
It is held in January by H’mong families.
Usually, when a H’mong family has no children, few children, or only one child, or someone is sick or has bad business…, they will go to Gau Tao hill to pray to the gods for children, health or good business. When the prayer comes true, they perform the Gau Tao ceremony to thank the gods. Seeing the pole erected in the middle of the Gau Tao alluvial land means that there will be a Gau Tao festival that year. Everyone attending the festival can dance, sing, and perform martial arts… making the atmosphere of the Gau Tao festival even more bustling.
Many exciting activities at the festival
ROONG POOC FESTIVAL
It is a festival of the Giay ethnic group, Ta Van, Sapa. The Roong Pooc festival is held on the Dragon day of the first lunar month every year, with the purpose of praying for favorable weather, peace and prosperity.
From early morning, people from other villages and ethnic groups have come to attend the festival. At the festival, there are interesting games such as throwing con, tug of war, attracting a large number of participants.
Folk games bring many interesting experiences to tourists.
VILLAGE CLEANING FESTIVAL
Held on the Ngo and Mui days of the second lunar month every year, the village sweeping festival is a traditional festival of the Xa Pho ethnic group, Sapa. According to the ancient concept of the Xa Pho ethnic group, February is the month when hungry ghosts return to the village, destroying the lives of the villagers. Therefore, the village sweeping is organized to welcome peace, hoping for good crops and safe livestock raising.
NAO CONG FESTIVAL
Nao Cong is one of the special festivals that takes place on the Dragon day of the 6th lunar month at the temple in Ta Van, Sapa. At the festival, people offer offerings to the gods, read the general conventions on security issues, livestock herding issues, and social behavior issues. Finally, after the end of the ritual, everyone sits down and eats.
Nao Cong Festival is more special than other festivals because: not only do people pray for a peaceful life and good crops, but people also raise issues to help life become better.
After each festival, people will go on a spring outing together. This spring is also an opportunity for young men and women to get to know each other, find a partner, and find a match. Therefore, Spring is always the most beautiful season, with the most full of hope and meaning of the year. This is a spiritual culture that needs to be promoted towards a beautiful life in a civilized society, so that this spiritual culture will last forever.
Tet in Sapa is not only an opportunity for tourists to enjoy the natural beauty but also an opportunity for you to better understand the culture and customs of the ethnic groups here. Don’t miss Sapa this Tet, you will definitely have unforgettable memories!
Do Hoa
About the Author Sapa Tourism Office
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