BAHNAR PEOPLE WELCOME THE NEW YEAR: NEW RICE WORSHIP CEREMONY IN MO H'RA VILLAGE
The new rice worshiping ceremony (Sơmăh sa mǒk) is a sacred traditional ritual of the Bahnar ethnic group in Mơ H'ra village, considered indispensable in the spiritual life of Mơ Hra village. The new rice worshiping ceremony is held three times a year, originating from the worship of the mother rice goddess, reflecting the dream of a life with enough food and clothing, eliminating poverty.
In the Bahnar people's concept, the new rice offering ceremony is an occasion to The villagers express their gratitude to Yang (God) and Yang Sri (rice god) for giving the villagers a bountiful harvest. As a community festival, the new rice offering ceremony is attended by everyone in the village but is guided by Bok Ra (village elder), who has the highest voice in the village and is listened to and trusted by the villagers.
The new rice offering ceremony is usually started with a meeting with the presence of most of the villagers, called by the village elder. At this meeting, the date and time of the offering ceremony are determined, the organizational steps are approved, and roles in the ceremony are nominated. With everyone's consent, the new rice offering ceremony is officially started.
The village elder will perform a ritual before the festival day at the stream at the beginning of the village. Almost all Bahnar villages are established near a water source. This ceremony is to inform the ancestors, the Yangs of the river, and the Yangs of the stream about the upcoming new rice festival.
At this time, villagers will start harvesting rice to prepare for the dishes used in the ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, men will set up the flagpole outside the communal house, arrange the altar inside the communal house, and women will carry water and pound rice to prepare to make green rice flakes from the newly harvested rice, which is the main dish on the occasion of celebrating the new rice harvest.
The new rice offering ceremony is a long-standing cultural feature of the Bahnar people and has been preserved and promoted to this day. Regardless of whether the harvest is good or bad, the villagers still hold a ceremony to thank Yang, wishing for a new year of bountiful harvest.
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