Fishing festival in De Gi: A cultural beauty

 Every year, on the Tenth day of the fourth month (lunar calendar), the people of An Quang Dong and An Quang Tay villages, Cat Khanh commune, organize a fishing festival to pray for favorable weather and go out to sea to catch a lot of shrimp, fish, bringing fishermen a full life with food and warm clothes.

 Coming from a life of floating and turbulence, always having to cope with storms with rudimentary and inadequate means, people in coastal areas have had to believe in the spirit world. Every year, they hold a ceremony to pray for fish, worshiping "Mr. Nam Hai" or whale to pray for peace and quiet, so that boats can go out to sea to catch lots of fish and shrimp.  Because they always have to face unexpected disasters, people in coastal areas often believe in metaphysical forces, so the fish praying ceremony also prays for the water gods and those who die in the river or sea to protect them. According to custom, on the 10th day of the 4th lunar month, the coastal village of An Quang Dong and An Quang Tay (collectively known as De Gi), Cat Khanh commune organizes the Cau Ngu Festival. This folk festival takes place from April 10 to 16, with many diverse and rich activities. The ceremony takes place solemnly with processions and sacrifices according to traditional rituals such as: Sac Procession Ceremony, Nghinh Ong Ceremony, Te Chanh Ceremony, Ton Vuong Ceremony,...

 The festival is colorful with fishermen's fishing boats decorated with flags and flowers to carry out the ceremony of carrying him to the sea. On the ships, there are many fishermen participating in the procession.

 Nghinh Ong Nam Hai procession outside De Gi estuary

 Cheo Ba Trao is both a sacrificial ritual and a typical form of dancing and singing of the fish-seeking festival. Ba Trao is like a dance and song scene, showing the activities and labor of fishermen such as rowing boats, pulling nets...expressing the spirit of solidarity to overcome fierce waves, bringing in a bumper fish season.

 Ba Trao's team performed to pray for peaceful voyages

 As for the festival, there are many activities taking place such as Hat Boi singing, lion dancing, boat racing, basket shaking...During the days of the Cau Ngu Festival, in addition to visitors, fishermen in the De Gi sea area go to work far away in the South. In the North, people also return to gather with their neighbors to warm up their love for their homeland. They consider this the second Tet of the year in this coastal area.

 An Quang Dong and An Quang Tay villages are located along the lagoon and De Gi beach, in front of provincial road 633, behind is the immense sea. Since the village was established, the main occupation of fishermen is still fishing and seafood farming.  In years when there are "favorable rains and winds", business is good. In years with storms and lots of wind and rain, people's lives are difficult and difficult, even hungry.  Therefore, the fishermen of An Quang East and West villages (collectively known as De Gi) held a joint ceremony together at Lang Ong Nam Hai De Gi to pray for their dream of "favorable rain and wind" and a lot of fishing.  Shrimp and fish help fishermen live a prosperous and happy life. This year's fishing festival in De Gi is held for 7 days, from the 10th to the 16th of the fourth lunar month.  With ceremonies: Ong procession (also known as Nghinh Ong ceremony), An Vi ceremony, Cau Sieu ceremony (bless those unfortunate enough to die), Hat court. As for the festival, there are many activities such as Hat Boi singing, Ba Trao singing and dancing, lion dancing, boat racing,...

According to Mr. Le Van Manh, Chief of this year's Festival: "Cau Ngu Festival is a unique spiritual and religious cultural activity of residents of coastal villages. This is an opportunity for people to remember and respect the  This is an opportunity for coastal residents to respect and believe in the gods who protect fishermen from storms and storms, hoping for peace on their sea voyages, so that the community can live. People connect with each other in life and business. At the same time, preserving spiritual cultural values ​​in festivals of coastal people..."

 King's Ceremony

 Currently, Cat Khanh commune's fleet of boats has 270 boats, with a total capacity of 112,159 CV, of which the two villages of An Quang Dong and Tay have 234 boats with 98,025 CV, the annual catch of the whole commune is over 27,000 tons of all kinds of seafood, of which these two villages account for nearly 90% of the output. This year the festival is more fun with Cat Khanh commune having many coastal roads, completed De Gi bridge and many other projects implemented that will create a strong driving force for socio-economic development.

 The Fishing Festival brings traditional cultural beauty specifically for fishermen in the coastal areas. In addition to its good humanistic meanings as well as its important role in the spiritual life of fishermen, the Fishing Festival also shows great significance in terms of protecting the ecosystem.  Today, when countries around the world call for participation in the convention to protect whales, since centuries ago, Vietnamese fishermen have had their own ways to participate in protecting this species of fish from danger. chance of extinction.

 Lion Dance in the Fisherman's Festival

 Cau Ngu Festival is a unique spiritual and religious cultural activity of coastal village residents. This is an opportunity for people to remember and respect pioneers and pioneers; This is an opportunity for fishermen in the sea to respect and believe in the gods who protect fishermen from winds and storms, to hope for peace on their sea trips, and for the fishing community to bond together in life.  living, in business.  At the same time, preserve spiritual cultural values ​​in festivals of coastal people

 The fishing festival is also an opportunity for fishermen in coastal villages to express gratitude for the merits of Ong fish and pray for a good fishing season, for boats to return safely from the sea, and to demonstrate the awareness of "Drinking water, remember the source", commemorating the merits of our ancestors who established villages and established professions.

 Tomb of Ong Nam Hai De Gi

 The Cau Ngu Festival not only demonstrates the unique, regional folk cultural identity of fishermen in each locality with its heritage, but is also an environment to preserve, enrich and promote the diversity of cultural identity. nationalization, is an opportunity to promote the value of Vietnam's maritime culture.

 Besides, the Cau Ngu Festival is a source of historical data, authentic evidence of the sovereignty of the sea and islands and the experience of dealing with the sea and islands of generations of Vietnamese people in general and Phu Cat in particular in the past, present and future...Therefore, it is necessary to preserve and promote./.