Organizing a celebration in your hometown(tây ninh)

Every year, from mid-last of September to fourth of October, the Khmer hold “Đôn Ta” celebration. It is a celebration for the Khmer’s dead relatives. In fact that the Khmer do not have the celebration for each dead person individual day, so “Đôn Ta” is the celebration for all the dead person in the ethnic. It is considered that in these day, their dead relatives will come back home to enjoy “Đôn Ta” with them. In these days of this celebration, we can see clearly three steps to have a successful celebration.
The first step is also the most important step- preparing. About three or four days, people clean up the house ,for they want the come back people satisfy and feel glad with their living. Then they buy a lot of candies, jam, rice wine, incense, and some food that is popular in traditional food because they wish their dead relatives can have a big delicious meal after a long hungry time at another world. Beside that, they kill animals such as chickens, buffaloes, ox to offer their dead relatives, and feast participants. Further more, they make or buy new costumes, sarong and colorful blankets for the dead relatives bring to other life. These works take a lot of time because people prepare these very carefully. Although they are very tired, the atmosphere is very lively.
After preparing step, people celebrate “Đôn Ta”. First, every family brings the tray plenty with food and wine, etc to the table which located in the center of the house. Next, they invite the oldest person or “Lục Cà Cha” who has significant, to come and pray to call their relatives come back, enjoy the party. The oldest person moves around the house, takes a bunch of leaf, and reads the essay. When the ceremonial is finished, the host and the participants start the party, turn by turn they visit all families. When the last family is visited, it is late afternoon. After that, the young girl and boy walk to the front yard of the pagoda to dance “roam-vông” until mid night. The adult will bring food to pagoda and share food with bronzes. It is the day which the Khmer show their respect to their dead relatives and pray for the next harvest.
To finish the celebration, Khmer use the next day to sendoff their relatives. In this day, every family cut banana tree to take a part of it to make ship for bringing food. Some food which is arranged featly is put onto the banana tree. That tree is pushed floating among the river next to the pagoda. When the tree goes far away, it means that the dead have already gone. The Khmer come home and back to the daily life.
“Đôn Ta” is not only the celebration for showing the worship to the dead person but also the feature celebration of the Khmer in Tay Ninh. It helps many people belong to various ethnic closer too, for they join this celebration. I hope this celebration will be continuous long time.