Vietnam bans animal slaughter at violent spring festivals With the spring festival season nearly upon us, Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has ordered an end to all performances that include either violent or offensive rituals, such as killing animals. Several festivals still feature violent rituals that involve slaughtering pigs and bull fighting, and that has to stop, the ministry said in a new statement. Most spring-time rituals in Vietnam were created centuries ago to commemorate ancient war heroes, show respect to the gods and to pray for good health, peace and prosperity -- all honorable causes. But how people celebrate and perform these rituals is another question. Sometimes that involves the brutal killing of animals in public, like the pig slaughtering festival in the northern province of Bac Ninh. Nem Thuong villagers celebrate the festival on the sixth day of the first lunar month, which is February 5 next year, to commemorate a general who took refuge in … [Read more...] about Social News 29/10