Amidst the green of the Sa Pa mountains and forests, the village is a special highlight in the cultural picture of the Northwest. Not only famous for its brocade weaving and herbal baths, this place also preserves many unique traditional customs. Among them, the traditional wedding ceremony of the Red Dao people contains a rich culture, history and strong community spirit. The wedding ceremonies not only bring the young couple together but also strengthen the bond between the two clans, between the small family and the extended family of the village.
A traditional wedding of the Red Dao people usually consists of three main parts: the engagement, the wedding ceremony and the re-appearance ceremony. Around February or March of the lunar calendar, the groom's family chooses a good day to bring gifts to the bride's family to propose. This is the occasion for the two families to agree on the wedding ceremony and set the official date. A special gift that cannot be missed is a pair of silver bracelets for the girl, a gift that is both a promise of long-term commitment and a blessing for a lasting relationship.
After the engagement ceremony, the bride begins to prepare for the wedding. The dresses are the result of months of meticulous embroidery, painstakingly done in every stitch. At the same time, the groom's family prepares other necessary gifts for the wedding ceremony. The wedding ceremony is usually held in the dry season, from October to December, when the crops have been harvested. That is also the time when the village becomes more bustling with music and laughter echoing throughout the mountainsides.
On the first day of the wedding, the two families hold a ceremony to inform their ancestors. The groom's family brings gifts to the bride's family, holds a party to invite relatives and villagers to join in the fun. This is also the ceremony to send the girl off to her husband's house. What is special is that the groom's family does not organize a wedding reception ceremony, nor does it have a grand procession. Instead, the bride's family takes the initiative to take the bride to the groom's house. The groom and his relatives will be waiting at home, preparing a ceremony to welcome the bride's family.
This custom has existed since ancient times in Ta Phin as a way to show respect to the girl's family, expressing the hope that the girl will confidently and firmly enter a new life with her own initiative.
Before leaving her parents’ house, the bride holds a ceremony to pray for a harmonious and peaceful married life. When leaving the house, her face is covered with a red scarf or embroidered cloth, because the Red Dao believe that if the sun shines on the bride’s face on the way, it will not be good for her future life.
The wedding dress of the Red Dao bride is the crystallization of traditional colors and embroidery techniques. The main color red symbolizes happiness and luck, combined with green, white, and black as the embodiment of mountains, forests, heaven and earth. On the dress and headdress are brocade patterns in the shape of spirals, triangles, petals, etc., mixed with sparkling white silver coins. These silver coins not only beautify the dress but also symbolize prosperity and blessings from both families.
Music plays an indispensable role in Red Dao weddings, like an invisible bridge, bringing everyone's souls into the bustling, excited atmosphere throughout the village. Musicians are invited to play trumpets and drums throughout the wedding days.
The third day is the main ceremony day. When the auspicious hour comes, the groom's family brings out trumpets and drums to a large yard near the house to welcome the bride's family. The musicians walk, playing trumpets and drums, moving in a circle around the bride's family, forming the shape of the number 8 - symbolizing the wish for lasting happiness and a close family bond. Throughout the ceremony, the groom's family offers tea and wine, welcoming the bride's family with respect and warmth.
Another important ritual is the exorcism ceremony before the bride enters her husband’s house. The Red Dao believe that the long journey to the bride’s house can be filled with bad luck. The shaman performs the exorcism ceremony, holding a bowl of holy water, reciting prayers and spraying water around her, along with offerings such as a rooster to ward off evil. This ceremony lasts about an hour, ending with the bride officially entering her new home with everyone’s blessings.
When all the rituals were completed, the bride and groom knelt down at the ancestral altar and received blessings from relatives on both sides. They took turns going to each table, raising their glasses of wine to celebrate, and receiving good wishes from the villagers. About a month later, the groom's family brought gifts to the bride's family to perform a re-engagement ceremony, as a way to express gratitude and further strengthen the strong in-law relationship.
The wedding of the Red Dao people is not only a happy day for a young couple but also an occasion for community cultural activities, where traditional values are preserved through many generations.
Amidst the white mist of the mountainous region, the image of a Red Dao girl quietly returning to her husband's house, carrying with her the brilliant colors of the mountains and forests and the eternal cultural consciousness is a unique and unmistakable feature, forever imprinted in the hearts of those who have once come to Ta Phin, Sa Pa.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/net-rieng-trong-le-cuoi-cua-nguoi-dao-do-o-ta-phin-khi-co-dau-tu-ve-nha-chong-post403280.html
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