The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced the
recognition of the Ok-Om-Bok festival as the 4th national intangible
cultural heritage of southern Tra Vinh province.
Ok-Om-Bok, a moon worshipping ritual performed by the Khmer ethnic
group, is one of the three main festivals they celebrate every year. The
Khmer believe the moon is a God who controls the weather and crops
throughout the year.
The festival takes place
at full moon in the 10 th lunar month. On this occasion, the local
residents provide offerings to show their gratitude for the God for
giving them good weather conditions and fruitful harvests.
Each village organises their own festival in the courtyards of their
local pagodas, while the large provincial festival is held at Ba Om pond
cultural relic site. The festival features a number of entertainment
opportunities, including art performances, traditional sports challenges
and folk games.
Tra Vinh is currently home to
320,000 ethnic Khmer, accounting for 32 percent of the province’s total
population. During the moon worshipping festival, Ba Om pond cultural
relic site attracts thousands of local inhabitants and tourists.-VNA