Festival plans ways to celebrate Khmer culture

      Researchers have discussed measures to preserve and develop traditional cultural activities at the Ooc Om Boc Festival of the Khmer people in the southern province of Soc Trang.
The discussions were held last weekend at a seminar by some hundreds of researchers, cultural activists and local authorities, focusing on the Khmer people in Soc Trang and their culture, the festival’s characteristics and on its significance, as well as on how to preserve and develop it.
Professor Nguyen Chi Ben, director of the Viet Nam Institute for Culture and Arts, highlighted the importance of the festival for the Khmer ethnic group.
"The festival promotes unity among the Khmer people, and also with other ethnic groups such as the Kinh and Hoa in the region," Ben said.
He told participants to say what they needed preserved, so that the Ooc Om Boc Festival could become the biggest in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta next year.
The annual Soc Trang festival is held on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month to remember the moon, which the Khmer people consider a deity that protects their bumper crops.
The festival attracts thousands of people in the province and from across the entire Mekong region.
Race for the prize
The traditional ceremony is usually carried out as the moon rises in the sky, with all attendees sitting on the ground, clasping their hands and listening to an elderly man express the people’s gratitude to the moon and saying prayers for continuous good crops and good health.
The festival is often composed of two major parts, including a moon-worshipping ritual and a boat race. The former, held on the festival’s first day, includes grilled rice made from young sticky rice grains for the Moon God, plus fruit, sweet potatoes, cassava and much more.
One of the elderly males intones prayers of gratitude to the gods, asking them to accept the offerings and grant a continuation of good fortune.
Then, the elderly men guide small children to sit in straight lines and put grilled rice into their mouths while asking them what they wish for the year. If the children answer without hesitating, it is a good omen for everyone for the coming year.
Ghe Ngo
(Long boat) racing is one of the most attractive activities of the Khmers during Ooc Om Boc. The Khmer people are strong in traditional boat races, especially women’s races, in Viet Nam.
A ngo boat, called tuk ngo in the Khmer language, is like a pirogue. It can hold up to 50 people thanks to its length of 20-30m. The timber boat, which has a pointed bow and an elevated stern, has blue, red and yellow stripes decorating the hull, while the boat’s sides are black.
The experienced master stands midway along the boat and encourages his teammates with a light gong. As the first boat crosses the finish line, the crowds on both riverbanks cheer loudly and enthusiastically. The excitement is infectious, and well worth seeing first hand.