Yen Thanh Village Communal House Festival

Yen Thanh Village Communal House Festival, Chuong My Ward, Hanoi City.

- The festival takes place from the 11th to the 14th day of the first lunar month

According to the convention of the residential group and the community, the village communal house festival is held as a “Grand Festival” with palanquin procession every 3 to 5 years, taking place from the 12th day of the first lunar month to the end of the 14th day of the first lunar month. In ordinary years, an “Annual Festival” is held, called village affairs, with only worship and rituals and no procession, taking place on the 12th and 13th days of the first lunar month. On the 12th day of the first lunar month is the spring-opening ceremony and the worship ceremony at the Communal House and Temple.

- The festival is held to commemorate the merits of Bach Hac Dai Vuong, Ta Bo: Pho Hue Dai Vuong Hien Tuy (Can Tuy) Dai Vuong, Ngoc Tri Dai Vuong and other deities who had merit in defending the country and driving out foreign invaders.

* Before the festival: The Party Cell, the residential group leader, the Head of the Fatherland Front Working Committee, the heads of mass organizations in the residential group, the two groups of elders, the Management Board and the Sub-board managing the Communal House relic shall organize a meeting, disseminate documents from all levels related to the festival, and establish subcommittees to participate in the festival. The meeting is held at the residential group cultural house or at the Communal House.

* The 6th day of the first lunar month hold a people's meeting to assign sections to prepare for the festival.

* The 10th day of the first lunar month the whole population goes to the Communal House to clean and decorate, and put up awnings at the Communal House and Temple.

* The 11th day of the first lunar month: Elderly men in the village go to the communal house to perform a ceremony to clean the worship objects and assemble and wash the palanquins. The elders wipe them three times with water: first with clean well water, then with ginger water, and then again with alcohol. After that, the temple keeper and some reputable elders in the village dress the village tutelary deity. The elderly women go to sweep and clean the communal house

* The 12th day of the first lunar month:

- Morning: opening ceremony of the festival, including invited delegates and all people participating in the festival… worship ceremony, incense offering.

- Afternoon: organize a ceremony at the temple of Saint Nguyen Huu Do and welcome pilgrims from all directions to worship.

At 14:00, organize a palanquin procession with the long palanquin from Nguyen Huu Do Temple to the communal house; the procession team includes: flag bearers, drum and ceremonial weapons team, palanquin bearers, about 45 people; after the palanquin arrives at the communal house, it stays at the village communal house.

- In the evening, organize cultural and mass arts performances