Feeding the Ghosts...2020
- Thread starter mario299
- Start date
Rice
Resident Smart Arse
Wow. Nice spread. You have Hiso spooks!
My wife's family is Kui and they do it twice. Once on the full moon and again on the new moon, which is tomorrow, well mostly, but could be today. As evident by your families spread @mario299 today.
Laos descendants only observe the full moon feast of the spooks.
Less Hiso spooks evident by the taste in Lao Khao.
Yorky
Fullritis Member
Wow. Nice spread. You have Hiso spooks!
My wife's family is Kui and they do it twice. Once on the full moon and again on the new moon, which is tomorrow, well mostly, but could be today. As evident by your families spread @mario299 today.
Laos descendants only observe the full moon feast of the spooks.
View attachment 35755
Less Hiso spooks evident by the taste in Lao Khao.
Those old ghosts prefer the Lao Khao kick.
merlin
You chose a custom title
Thai/Khmer/Lao etc., traditions and customs are as varied as those of any other countries I suppose, but the ones that deal with death and the respecting of the long-dead here can be a little morbid to sat the least.
During the last few days, we've attended no fewer than five funerals, one repeat blessing for someone's home, and today's respect for the dead. My wife will attend another funeral this evening. I confess to having the occasional thought that those who have passed on might have appreciated the same degree of respect for them while they were alive...
Yesterday's funeral included the ceremonial washing of the dead person's hand by attendees. Once that part was concluded, the workers involved completed the wrapping of the body in sheets. The decorative coffin was then opened, a long metal tray removed from it and laid next to the body. "Helpers" then raised the body and slid the tray beneath it. The body was then lifted over their heads and slid inside the coffin. Apart from the washing, the remaining actions described above were carried out with about as much respect for the deceased as if dishes were being stuffed into a cupboard, with mourners laughing and chatting, and with many if not most of them studying their mobile phones.
This departure from Western custom seems more than just a little macabre, and the funeral will continue tonight and on until the day of the cremation, to be followed 100 days after the death and again on the anniversary, by more "respect." I daresay that the family of the dead will be respecting him and his predecessors with the customary glasses of spirits, beer, water, red and green sodas, dead meat, fruit and other offerings... Meanwhile, the house is now full of incense smoke, and my facemask is being out to good use, trapping some of the smoke (and my bad thoughts about the whole process.)
As usual, my wife invited me to call up my forefathers in order for them to share in today's bounty. I really don't want to give offence to those who believe in this facet of local customs, but as I'm not a strong believer in this type of ceremony, I merely stood in front of the makeshift display and contemplated that annual mystery to me of what happens to the produce on offer to the departed. I can imagine Nomad wincing at the thought of my precious Bells sitting there with incense ash drifting down into the half-full glass.
The things we do to please our hosts, eh?
During the last few days, we've attended no fewer than five funerals, one repeat blessing for someone's home, and today's respect for the dead. My wife will attend another funeral this evening. I confess to having the occasional thought that those who have passed on might have appreciated the same degree of respect for them while they were alive...
Yesterday's funeral included the ceremonial washing of the dead person's hand by attendees. Once that part was concluded, the workers involved completed the wrapping of the body in sheets. The decorative coffin was then opened, a long metal tray removed from it and laid next to the body. "Helpers" then raised the body and slid the tray beneath it. The body was then lifted over their heads and slid inside the coffin. Apart from the washing, the remaining actions described above were carried out with about as much respect for the deceased as if dishes were being stuffed into a cupboard, with mourners laughing and chatting, and with many if not most of them studying their mobile phones.
This departure from Western custom seems more than just a little macabre, and the funeral will continue tonight and on until the day of the cremation, to be followed 100 days after the death and again on the anniversary, by more "respect." I daresay that the family of the dead will be respecting him and his predecessors with the customary glasses of spirits, beer, water, red and green sodas, dead meat, fruit and other offerings... Meanwhile, the house is now full of incense smoke, and my facemask is being out to good use, trapping some of the smoke (and my bad thoughts about the whole process.)
As usual, my wife invited me to call up my forefathers in order for them to share in today's bounty. I really don't want to give offence to those who believe in this facet of local customs, but as I'm not a strong believer in this type of ceremony, I merely stood in front of the makeshift display and contemplated that annual mystery to me of what happens to the produce on offer to the departed. I can imagine Nomad wincing at the thought of my precious Bells sitting there with incense ash drifting down into the half-full glass.
The things we do to please our hosts, eh?
Yorky
Fullritis Member
I see you offered up one of your Archas for the pii, Yorky?
My wife did. Not I.
It's back in the fridge now. And the Regency is back in the cupboard.
nomad97
Resident Geek
@Merlin said, "I can imagine Nomad wincing at the thought of my precious Bells sitting there with incense ash drifting down into the half-full glass."
Perish the thought! We are indeed very fortunate that our relatively modern village dwelling, built some 8 or 9 years ago, has no departed ghosts living within the house or even in this neck of the woods for that matter. Therefore, the need to splash the cash to lay on a bountiful offering for these unfortunate souls is totally unnecessary and has not been performed again for yet another year. SWMBO does not follow in her mother's footsteps, thank Buddha.
Perish the thought! We are indeed very fortunate that our relatively modern village dwelling, built some 8 or 9 years ago, has no departed ghosts living within the house or even in this neck of the woods for that matter. Therefore, the need to splash the cash to lay on a bountiful offering for these unfortunate souls is totally unnecessary and has not been performed again for yet another year. SWMBO does not follow in her mother's footsteps, thank Buddha.
Prakhonchai Nick
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Unless it is the funeral of a direct family member (or a farang friend) I keep well clear
Prakhonchai Nick
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Fortunately feeding the ghosts is one piece of mumbo jumbo that Mrs PN does not involve herself in. I wonder whether that will change once I am gone
Rice
Resident Smart Arse
Probably as she will want to keep you fed. So you don't haunt her.Fortunately feeding the ghosts is one piece of mumbo jumbo that Mrs PN does not involve herself in. I wonder whether that will change once I am gone
Yorky
Fullritis Member
Fortunately feeding the ghosts is one piece of mumbo jumbo that Mrs PN does not involve herself in. I wonder whether that will change once I am gone
Prakhonchai Nick
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Probably as she will want to keep you fed. So you don't haunt her.
Then she will need to splash out on some Jamesons. No Lao Khao for me!
merlin
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nomad97
Resident Geek
Well said.
Prakhonchai Nick
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On casually mentioning the ghosts to my wife, she seemed to think it was something more specific to Surin province than Buriram province. Certainly in my village there was little of no PHI activity
mario299
Surin Founding Father
I think it is definitely more a Khmer thing than a Thai thing, so she's probably correct that you will find more folks in the Surin Province that follow this tradition than in Buriram.
Yorky
Fullritis Member
My wife is from Phayao?