Rice is life

FEASTS AND TRADITIONS

Rice, precious and ancient food, has always been associated with positive values, getting symbol of fertility, joy and good health.

This "rice of life" has a leading role in many rituals and feasts, all over the world but, mostly, in the East.

Let see together what they are !

RICE FEAST

In Indonesia, in Bali, every ricefield has a shrine, dedicated to Dewi Sri, rice goddess and they celebrate many rituals, in her honour.
On New Year celebration, Bali people offer rice and drinks to gods, because they believe that in this way, they can get evil spirits out of the way.

In the Philippine archipelago, nearly every month, they celebrate a fest in honor of rice.
In the Aurora province, for a week, on February, there is Suman festival celebration. Suman is a sweet based on rice, covered by banana and wrapped in coconut leaves.

On May, every year, Lucban people celebrate harvest season and make offerings to the patron saint.
Local people adorn the city, with colourful rice dough wafers ( pahiyas ). Pahiyas, which represent leaves and flowers and cheer Lucban houses and streets up, are not just decorations, once fried or toasted, they can be eaten.

In Japan, New Year celebration (O-Shogatsu), lasts three days.
On this occasion, families and friends join together, to celebrate and to eat.
Table is decorated with the Mochibana, (flowers made up with rice and rice straw) and mothers cook many special dishes, as the Omochi, a rice sweet.

On April, Thai New Year celebration, marks the shift between different rice cycle phases. On May, the King, conducts the Royal ceremony for the Ploughing-time; this feast marks the official sowing time beginning and, according to tradition, monks bless seeds, so that harvest is good. There is another great feast for harvest time.