Festival of the Procession of Ông Khiu and Bà Khiu

The procession festival of Ông Khiu and Bà Khiu (also known as the crop-praying festival) is held on the 4th of the first lunar month in Thanh Đình Commune, Lâm Thao District, Phú Thọ Province. The procession of Ông Khiu and Bà Khiu is one of the festivals deeply imbued with traditional cultural values, preserved through generations.

On the morning of the 3rd, the festival master prepares bánh chưng (sticky rice cakes) for the procession. These cakes must be made with nếp cái hoa vàng glutinous rice and wrapped with large lá dong leaves. The bánh chưng for the Ông Khiu and Bà Khiu procession are about 40cm in size, slightly larger than those made for Tết. Once cooked, the cakes are placed on a tray with a peach blossom branch to be carried to the communal house.

The festival master selects several elders and some young people to arrange the offerings. The offering tray includes: bánh chưng, a peach blossom branch, a bundle of glutinous rice stalks, a bundle of ordinary rice stalks, with many corn, bean, peanut, and sesame seeds underneath. Lau grass branches and bông chít flowers are placed around the offerings.

The Khiu frame is prepared the day before, consisting of four bamboo poles and four wooden posts with mortise and tenon joints to form a plank floor. The Khiu frame is approximately 2m high, 2m long, and 1.8m wide. Its floor is made of wood, and it has no roof.

The festival master also prepares 10 bamboo segments decorated with buffalo and ox heads. On top of these, a traditional conical fishing trap (nơm), a basket (rổ), and a red fabric flag depicting a mother buffalo and a calf are attached, to be carried by the village youths during the procession.

The man chosen to play Ông Khiu must be between 60-65 years old, healthy, have both sons and daughters, no family mourning, and possess good morals. Ông Khiu wears a white shirt as an inner layer, covered by a loose, dark blue indigo robe, a ceremonial hat, white trousers, and traditional shoes (hia).

Bà Khiu is portrayed by a healthy, handsome young man between 12-17 years old. Before playing Bà Khiu, he must bathe thoroughly and cover his face with a red scarf. After the procession, Bà Khiu is taken to the buffalo shed to change clothes, a custom believed to prevent the deities from taking the spirit of a mortal. Bà Khiu wears a white skirt underneath, with multiple layers of black skirts on top, a traditional conical hat (nón ba tầm), and wooden clogs (guốc mỏ). In her hand, Bà Khiu carries a small flower pouch containing nine betel quid portions shaped like phoenix wings, nine areca nut slices, and nine pieces of spicy bark.

Before the procession begins, the festival master beats three drums. When the drumming stops, the palanquins are carried from Điếm Giõng, and Ông Khiu and Bà Khiu are brought to the communal house courtyard. The offerings are then taken inside the communal house for the ceremony.

Ông Khiu performs the spring ritual at the village communal house. Afterward, Ông Khiu throws bánh chưng and Bà Khiu throws grains. Villagers rush to scramble for the bánh chưng and grains, seeking good luck. It's believed that whoever gets the most bánh chưng and grains will have good fortune and prosperity that year.

Once the rituals are complete, the flag bearers, "eight treasures" team, gongs, drums, and traditional instruments accompany the palanquins of Ông Khiu and Bà Khiu in a procession. After the Ông Khiu and Bà Khiu procession concludes, the villagers organize various lively folk games such as wrestling, cultural performances, chess, tug-of-war, and more.