TÍN NGƯỠNG VÀ LỄ HỘI DÂNG TRÂU TẾ TRỜI CỦA NGƯỜI THÁI XÃ THANH QUÂN, HUYỆN NHƯ XUÂN

Abstract

Thanh Quan Commune, located in Nhu Xuan mountainous district, Thanh Hoa province, is a long-standing residence area for four ethnic groups: Thai, Muong, Tho, and Kinh, with the Thai people accounting for 98.8% of the population. Annually, this area continues to practice religious rituals and organizes the festival of offering buffalo to heaven. The festival not only spreads the positive values of the local culture but also fulfills the spiritual and religious needs of the Thai people in Thanh Quan commune specifically and the western region of Thanh Hoa generally. Researching and understanding the beliefs and the buffalo offering festival aims to contribute to the preservation, promotion, and enhancement of the unique traditional cultural values of the locality.