Ede ethnic’s ritual ceremony to be performed in Hanoi

The Water God worshiping ceremony of the Ede people, part of the exhibition entitled "Travel Through Vietnamese Heritage Regions 2020," is being held at the Vietnam Culture and Arts Exhibition Center, Hanoi. 

The ceremony will be performed by the Ede ethnic people from Buon Dung village. Photo: Khanh Hoa newspaper

The ritual ceremony is usually organized by Ede ethnic minority in Ninh Tay commune, Khanh Hoa province in January, aiming at giving thanks to the Water God for bringing luck, good weather, bumper crops and good health to the villagers. 

The ceremony will be performed by the Ede ethnic people from Buon Dung village so as to introduce this cultural heritage more vividly.

Although it is only presented in the theatrical form and summarized in approximately 60 minutes, the Water God worship ceremony of the Ede ethnic group in Hanoi encompasses the full basic rituals, from the preparation of the ceremony, the worship part, to the festival with typical dances.

Normally, the ceremony is performed by the village head or shaman. The prepared worship dishes include pork, chicken, and most importantly, a pot of diluted bird's blood. On that day, the wharf was decorated with a welcoming gate made of leaves, long-leaved grass, hanging decorations, and a pillar. After the worship procession at the wharf, the villagers will store some water in jars of dried gourds, put them in baskets, and take them home as gifts from the God of Water. Meanwhile, a group of people follow the shaman to visit all the houses in the village to spray poultry blood while singing songs out loud to pray good luck and fortune to the villagers.

After this ritual part, the villagers will join together at the community house to have a party with lot of rice wine and food in the joyful melody of gongs and festive vibes.