The New Rice Festival for the Va people is celebrated in the middle of the eighth lunar month. The Va people call themselves A Va, which means ‘people of the mountains.’ Autumn is the busiest season for the Va and the New Rice Festival is their favourite.
Starting with the bringing home of freshly-picked corn, which is then ground into rice and cooked, seven bowls are then filled with the mixture and a piece of meat is placed on top. Along with seven bowls of wine, these are served up to the gods of Heaven, Earth, Mountain and corn, as well as their ancestors; seven incenses are then burned before an old man of the village begins to pray. Elderly people and children are then offered the ‘new rice’ which has been cleansed by the gods and they become cleansed in turn. This ritual is symbolic of the respect the Va people have for gods and the elderly and the love they have for children.
At sunset, the Va people sit around a bonfire and sing throughout the night. Visitors will be offered wine and chicken wine by the host. The etiquette concerning wine is notable of all the hospitality of the Va; the host will take a sip, wipe the bamboo cup (this must be with his right hand) and pass the cup to the guest in both hands. The guest, with his right palm up, should then take the wine, have a sip and then pass the wine around in the same way.
During this ritual, guests should not touch their head or ears, nor should they give girls who might be the host’s relatives gifts or cigarettes. This is because it is an act which suggests the man wishes to be a suitor.
The next day, the young men of the village will make sure the roads for bringing corn back are well-maintained, while women clean the houses. The third and final day is dedicated to finding a lover. The autumn harvest usually begins after this three-day festival.
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