Culture is an essential part of every societies. It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life. Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together. In the explicit sense of the term, culture constitutes the music, food, arts and literature of a society. Every society has a different culture, where people share a specific language, traditions, behavior, perceptions and beliefs. And the culture in Mekong Delta is reflected in the cultural festivals here.
Cultural Festival in Mekong Delta is formed by many reasons. Firstly, the argricultural life is the most important factor promoting the foundation of rural cultural festival. In the past, when the technique had not developed, people’s life much depend on the natural condition. With the desire of having productivity crop, people create the worship for natural goddiness. This is one side of their spiritual life.
Secondly, the rural cultural festival in this region is also formed from traddional moral. The local people in Mekong Delta in particular, and Vietnamese in general always remember the service of the former generations. Every year, people celebrate many ceramonies to give their thankfull to them. This is also the chance to educate the youth to reserve, inherit and develop traditional experiences.
Finally, Festival also has the root from the demand of entertainment from all classes in the society. After working hard, people need participating such exciting activities to forget tension and tireness in usual life.
In Mekong Delta, there are such many typical rural natural festivals as: Ba Chua Xu (The Lady) Festival held in An Giang province from 23th to 27th April in Lunar calendar; Chol Chnam Thmay Festival held by Khmer ethnic people in the annual mid April; Sen Dolta Festival held from August 29th to September 1st (according to Lunar calendar) bu Khmer ethnic people; Ok Om Bok Festival held by Khmer ethnic people in October 14th and 15th (lunar calendar) etc.