| The Vas used to believe in the primitive religion, i.e. everything in the world had a spirit. The Vas in some regions embrace the Buddhism. Almost all their festivals have something to do with the worship activity. Besides the traditional slaughter of chook and pig, the cattle will also be slain. Seeding Festival
The festival falls in the Qi'ai month of the Va calendar, corresponding to March of the solar calendar. In the event, all villagers will gather together to slaughter the cattle. The ceremony is to be presided over by the person who donates the cattle. On the occasion, he lunges with a knife into the heart of the cattle. Afterward, the beef will be distributed to every family for the ancestor's worship.
The cattle's owner will keep cattle bones, and cattle head bone is regarded as a sign of wealth. After the worship, all families will have lunch. And then, they start to sow dried paddy.
Bengnan Festival
It is the Spring Festival of the Vas. The celebration has to be made by selecting a lucky day on the Hai day (the last of the twelve Earthly Branches) of the Va calendar. At mid-night, the seniors of the village and strong men gather together in the chief's home and put money together to purchase a pig and a chook. Every family carries a basin of sticky rice and a piece of sticky rice cake on a bamboo table to worship the Village King, the spirit of the deity and the ancestors.
Afterward, people send each other sticky rice cakes and greet each other. At the daybreak, people worship the Divine Tree, and start hunting and catching fish in hope of having good luck in the New Year.
Drum Carrying Festival
For other festivals such as, Fresh Water Festival, Renewal Festival and Drum Carrying Festival, the Vas will slay chook and pigs. Among those activities, the largest one is the Drum Carrying Festival, which lasts about 10 days. The family needs to set a feast for the celebration. Before and after the Drum Carrying, people abstain from eating ginger, and using banana leaves to package rice. People cannot use chopsticks while dining.
Fresh Tasting Festival
The Vas celebrate the festival when corns are ripe. The celebration date is a little bit different in different areas. The elder of prestige will be asked to determine the specific day. On the festival, some girls are dressed up and carry knapsacks to go to the field for picking up spikes. They bring them back home and give them to the master who presides over the worship. The fresh grains will be processed to chicken porridge and shared with all villagers. In addition, the sutra master is invited to soothsay the Chook Trigram. After the meal, people sing and dance to celebrate the festival. |
