A pig was slaughtered for a worshiping ceremony by the Lý family in the village. The ceremony is organised once a year on the 17th day of the seventh lunar month. This ceremony aims to pray for peace, to wish safe travel for people and to chase away harmful ghosts. After the ceremony, the use of sharp objects such as knives, sickles, hoes and shovels must be abstained from for three days. It’s possible to use a small knife inside the house, but taking the knife out of the house is not allowed.
The Lý family in the village has 18 households. They all attended the ceremony regardless of their age. A 58-kilogramme pig raised by a household of the Lý family was slaughtered for this worshiping ceremony. The households take turns in hosting the ceremony, so they go to different households in different years. Each household makes a small contribution to the pig expense, while the rest is covered by the host family. In this ceremony, a pig is usually slaughtered, not a buffalo or a cow, because the small number of existing households does not require much meat. On the worshiping days, blood soup must be abstained from, otherwise the ghosts will suck blood from the people. Anyone who takes a knife out of the house or gets a small cut on their hands may have their blood sucked by the ghosts and faint. In addition, a chicken is needed for the ceremony.
Narrator and photographer: Lý A Trống (43 years old)