Hà Nhì people celebrate traditional New Year Festival

ĐBP - The Hà Nhì people in Điện Biên, a northern mountainous province, have successfully preserved numerous traditional cultural values that showcase their unique identity. One such manifestation is the observance of Khù Sự Chà, their traditional New Year Festival, held in December.

Girls in traditional costumes perform during the Khù Sự Chà, the traditional New Year Festival in Tả Kố Khừ village, Sín Thầu commune, Mường Nhé district in the northern province of Điện Biên. Photos by Diệp Chi

As one of the 19 ethnic groups in the province, the Hà Nhì predominantly inhabit 21 villages across four bordering communes in Mường Nhé District, namely Sín Thầu, Chung Chải, Sen Thượng, and Leng Su Sìn.

The Hà Nhì's traditional New Year, known as Khù Sự Chà, typically spans three days in December. Similar to other ethnic communities' traditional festivals, it serves as a time for families to express gratitude to their ancestors. The occasion provides an opportunity for people to reunite, reflect on and share experiences from the past year, celebrate the arrival of spring, and extend wishes for a prosperous new year over glasses of wine.

According to Hà Nhì customs, on the morning of the first day of the new year, families prepare bánh trôi (sticky rice cakes) as an offering to their ancestors. This ritual symbolizes the transition from the old to the new year and acts as a symbolic meal for ancestors joining in the New Year celebrations.

Local residents and tourists participate in the folk dance during Khù Sự Chà Festival in Tả Kố Khừ village, Sín Thầu commune.

During the ceremony, the host molds three large, evenly round cakes, boils them, places them on a fresh banana leaf, sprinkles fragrant roasted sesame seeds, and then offers them on the ancestral altar.

Following the ritual, family members can enjoy the cakes before proceeding to slaughter a pig. The pork serves both as an offering in the ancestral worship ritual and as sustenance for the family during the Tết days.

Offering pork to the ancestors is a mandatory ritual for the Hà Nhì, symbolizing cleanliness and a desire for a fresh start. Before slaughtering the pig, the host pours water over its neck, symbolizing the washing away of misfortunes from the previous year, ushering in a new and better year.

Hà Nhì ethnic women make bánh giầy in preparation for the Khù Sự Chà Festival.

During the pig slaughtering ceremony, the Hà Nhì people have a tradition of examining the pig's liver to predict life in the new year. A healthy and vibrant liver indicates thriving livestock farming and brings luck to the family.

On the second day of Tết, families prepare bánh giầy (round glutinous rice cake) to offer as gifts to distant guests, showcasing the hospitality and warmth of the Hà Nhì people.

Festive visits continue on the second day, with households preparing various dishes and engaging in traditional activities such as singing folk songs and dancing. These elements contribute to a vibrant and joyful Tết atmosphere for the Hà Nhì people on the borderlands of their homeland.

By Diệp Chi
Comment

You have 500/500 characters left

Please enter 5 or more characters!!!

Recent news

  • 'The Party’s strong political will and wise leadership

    The Party’s strong political will and wise leadership

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    ĐBP - On October 10, 1949, the Lai Châu provincial Party Affairs Committee - now the Điện Biên provincial Party Committee - was established. This represented a milestone laying the groundwork for revolutionary movements across the locality to receive unified leadership.
  • 'Colors of Hmông ethnic traditional crafts

    Colors of Hmông ethnic traditional crafts

    CULTURE - SPORTS -
    ĐBP - Within the framework of the 4th Hmông Ethnic Cultural Festival, taking place from October 9 to 11 in Điện Biên, localities have brought forth craft demonstration spaces rich in identity. Every product and practical maneuver contributes to showcasing the cultural beauty and vitality of handicrafts preserved across generations by the Hmông people.
  • 'The joy of a grand cultural celebration

    The joy of a grand cultural celebration

    CULTURE - SPORTS -
    ĐBP - The lively sound of the Hmông khèn flute echoes through the mountains and forests of Điện Biên, blending with the excitement building ahead of the 4th Hmông Ethnic Culture Festival 2026. Artisans rehearse with passion, while villagers bustle about preparing to welcome visitors. Behind the flute’s rich, haunting melodies lies pride in ethnic identity and a heartfelt invitation to friends and travelers to join in the festivities.
  • 'Exciting sports competitions at 4th Hmông Ethnic Cultural Festival

    Exciting sports competitions at 4th Hmông Ethnic Cultural Festival

    CULTURE - SPORTS -
    ĐBP - Within the framework of the 4th Hmông Ethnic Cultural Festival, sporting events officially kick off on October 9. At this point, athletes from participating delegations are swiftly stabilizing their contingents, checking registration dossiers, and preparing uniforms and equipment, looking forward to spirited competitions.
  • 'Honoring cultural identity of Hmông ethnic group

    Honoring cultural identity of Hmông ethnic group

    CULTURE - SPORTS -
    ĐBP - The 4th Hmông Ethnic Cultural Festival in 2026 takes place from October 9 to 11 in Điện Biên province. Nearly 800 artisans, performers, and athletes from 11 provinces - including Tuyên Quang, Phú Thọ, Thái Nguyên, Sơn La, Cao Bằng, Lào Cai, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Đắk Lắk, Điện Biên, and Lai Châu - gather together. This is not only a cultural celebration, but also an occasion to affirm the enduring vitality of ethnic identity within the nation’s developmental stream.
  • 'Hmông people take charge of their tourism future

    Hmông people take charge of their tourism future

    TRAVEL -
    ĐBP - Drawing on the cultural and natural assets embedded in everyday life, Hmông communities in Điện Biên province are gradually changing the way they think and work to develop community-based tourism. The transformation is reflected in their proactive efforts to improve their villages, preserve traditional culture and work together to protect the landscape and environment.
  • 'Bringing digital skills to Phình Giàng residents

    Bringing digital skills to Phình Giàng residents

    SOCIAL AFFAIRS -
    ĐBP - In Xa Vua village, Phình Giàng commune, smartphone usage is steadily becoming an ingrained part of residents’ daily lives. Moving beyond devices previously used merely for phone calls, many villagers now know how to install and activate VNeID electronic identification accounts, complete various administrative procedures online, and perform cashless payments.
  • 'From fire safety lessons to real-world skills for students

    From fire safety lessons to real-world skills for students

    SOCIAL AFFAIRS -
    ĐBP - To equip students with fire prevention and firefighting knowledge, as well as rescue and emergency response skills, the Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Police Division of the Điện Biên provincial Police has worked with schools to provide safety education, hands-on instruction and practical training for teachers and students.
  • 'Điện Biên ready for 2026 provincial defensive area exercise

    Điện Biên ready for 2026 provincial defensive area exercise

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    ĐBP - The 2026 Điện Biên provincial defensive area exercise is a vital political, national defense, and security mission of the province, aimed at elevating the leadership and managerial capacities of Party committees and authorities, as well as the advisory competence of provincial departments, boards, and sectors, with the armed forces serving as the core.
  • 'Making Điện Biên’s OCOP products more competitive

    Making Điện Biên’s OCOP products more competitive

    ECONOMY -
    ĐBP - Điện Biên province now has 157 OCOP products, including five four-star products made by the Hồng Kỳ International Coffee Joint Stock Company, the Hà Chung Coffee Processing Facility, and the Phan Thanh Ngọt Tea Processing and Trading Facility.