The Unique Com De Traditional Festival

In the Muong Ramp and Muong Trac regions of Yen Thuy Commune, there is a folk festival that has been preserved and organized annually by the Muong community: the Com De Traditional Festival (also known as Tet Com De). This festival takes place from the early morning of October 25th to the end of October 26th in the lunar calendar.

Visitors and locals alike explore the unique cuisine during the Com De Traditional Festival.

Elders in the Muong region recount that this festival is deeply tied to spiritual culture, beliefs, and a legend involving two brothers, Cun Ramp and Dao Trac, who were instrumental in helping the King fight off foreign invaders and saving the people from drought. Therefore, the festival holds the significance of honoring deities, remembering those who helped the Muong people, and praying for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, prosperity, and happiness for the village.

Another legend about Tet Com De, passed down through generations, tells the story of a general who led an army to fight enemies but was defeated and injured during the battle. He and his entourage fled through the mountains and forests to seek shelter in Yen Thuy. Due to their poverty and lack of food reserves, the host family could only serve boiled pumpkin, papaya, and bamboo shoots to the general and his soldiers. Later, the host remembered having some rice being fermented in preparation for brewing alcohol during the Tet holiday, so they quickly served it to the general and his men.

Yen Thuy is an area often plagued by drought. To show gratitude to the people, the general set up a rain ritual. Miraculously, after the ritual, it started to rain, and the villagers were overjoyed. From that moment, they began to commemorate the day the general stayed in Muong Ramp (October 26th in the lunar calendar) every year. The offerings include ingredients from the meal the general had, with the indispensable dish being Com De.

The offerings at the Com De festival in Muong Ramp and Muong Trac families must include Com De and several dishes the general once ate, such as bamboo shoots and papaya.

To prepare Com De, families begin preparations several days in advance. The main ingredient is sticky rice, which is steamed and then mixed with fermented leaves from the forest. According to the local Muong people, to make delicious and fragrant Com De, the rice must be carefully selected. The rice should be glutinous rice, peeled of husks, cleaned thoroughly, soaked in water for 3-4 hours, then steamed. Once the rice is cooked, it is placed in a large basket to cool down.

Before fermenting the Com De, people usually sprinkle a little cooled boiled water over the rice to prevent the grains from sticking together, then evenly spread the fermented leaves over the layers of rice before placing it in the basket. The basket is lined with a layer of banana leaves to prevent the rice from absorbing too much fermentation and leaking.

The rice is left to ferment in the basket for two days, at which point it becomes Com De. Only then do families in Muong Ramp and Muong Trac place the Com De in clay or ceramic jars, waiting for the festival day to offer it to the village’s guardian deity and ancestors, followed by sharing with relatives, friends, and guests.

Women in Muong Ramp, Yen Thuy commune, prepare the rice for the Com De process during the traditional festival.

Today, with improved economic conditions and a higher standard of living, the festival has become richer. Most families now prepare meat dishes, slaughter pigs and chickens, and make a variety of delicious dishes to serve their guests. During this time, many children who have moved away for work or study make every effort to return to their homeland and participate in the festival activities.

Bui Minh