Coming-of-age ceremony for Cham Ba Ni ethnic minority girls

 On November 24, the ceremony was organized at the Vietnam ethnic tourism and culture village in Dong Mo, Hanoi, imitating the regular custom of Cham ethnic minority people. The coming-of-age ceremony usually takes place over 3 days. Three girls were main characters of the ceremony.

 Elderly women in ceremonial clothing prepare to take the three girls to have a bath.

 After that, the girls were taken into a room to be dressed, put on jewellery, and put their hair in a bun.

 When the costumes were completed for the three girls, three dignitaries came to the main home and sat in position as designated by the priest.

 In turn, the three girls came to the main room to complete the procedures. Their hair was cut and a naming ceremony was held.

 Dignitaries performed the ceremonies, and said prayers inviting the gods to witness.

 Girls prostrated themselves before dignitaries, parents, ancestors and relatives. From now on, they would be recognized as adults.

 A boy witnessed the three girls having their hair cut and entering the Ba Ni religion.

 After the kowtowing ceremony, girls returned to the previous room, while the dignitaries made offerings. The offerings were prepared on 7 trays.

 Pie on the trays represented the sky and earth. The offerings included pie, fruits, sweet soup, bananas, rice, meat and fish. After that, the ceremony was completed, and the girls’ families celebrated the girls' coming-of-age with their relatives and friends.