Cow Racing Festival Vietnam

The Khmer honor their ancestors on the last day of the Khmer calendar every year. The Khmer is a group of ethnic minority people living in Mekong Delta, Vietnam. One important feature of their customs is the Cow Racing Festival, Vietnam. Today it is one of the major festivals of Vietnam.

Before the cow race the souls of the ancestors are invited to dine with the living. This takes place in the pagoda. Then offerings are placed on a raft made of tied trunks of banana trees. These rafts are then pushed into the water. The current of the water sweeps away their offerings as an evidence of their honor for their ancestors. Guests arriving during the festival are welcomed by the Khmer. Guests who arrive around the New Year are regarded as messengers from their ancestors.

This quiet ceremony is followed by the cow race. It is the highlight of the Cow Racing Festival, Vietnam.. In the race two pairs of cows, controlled by two young men are made to run on the tracks. They are disqualified if they deviate from the tracks. The race is set on a 120 meters long paddy field which is both muddy and slippery.

This race of the Cow Racing Festival, Vietnam attracts people from far off places. They come to watch the show and bring along ingredients for a perfect picnic, including food, pots and pans. The entire Cow Racing Festival involving respect for the elders and the exciting cow race is an unforgettable experience.

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