For the Pa Then community, the fire god reigns supreme, revered as an embodiment of good fortune. Consequently, the fire dance ritual has assumed a cherished and distinctive cultural facet within their religious life.
Annually celebrated at the juncture between the old year and the new, during the 10th and 11th lunar months, and culminating on the full moon day of January, this grand affair takes on an aura of mystique.
The worshiping ceremony unfolds with elaborate offerings, featuring a tray adorned with pigs, chickens, wine, and ghost money.
A massive bonfire blazed to life. The shaman brandished a bamboo stick, striking the "pan-do" instrument and twirling a hoop, his body swaying gracefully to the rhythmic beats. He performed the ritual, elucidating the purpose behind the fire dance festival and inviting all 28 deities to grace the ceremony.
As the music intensified and the shaman's call persisted for about 20 - 30 minutes, the bodies of the Pà Thẻn boys started to tremble. Their eyes assume an ethereal glow, and their heads sway to an unseen force.
The Pa Then people, firmly believing that celestial beings descend to inhabit these chosen boys.
Barefoot and undaunted, the Pa Then boys boldly leap into the fiery red coals, seamlessly dancing amidst the embers. A breathtaking act unfolds, with some even daring to put the fiery embers into their mouths./.
