(VOVWORLD) - The Thai ethnic minority group in the northwestern province of Son La worship their houses at the beginning of the year to thank their ancestors for blessings and pray for health, happiness, safety, and prosperity.
 Offering for home worship ceremony of the Thai in Son La (photo: VOV) |
When spring comes, Thai families organize a ceremony to worship their houses on an appropriate day. The Black and White Thai in different localities hold the ceremony at different times – before, during, or after the Lunar New Year. The Thai in Son La city worship on the 4th or 5th day of the New Year.
The shaman’s prayer and worship offerings may differ among regions, but they show deep gratitude for their ancestors by presenting them the best products produced on their land. Richer families worship their houses once a year, while needy families may organize a ceremony every 2 or 3 years.
Ca Van Chung, a researcher of Thai culture, said: “Worshipping the house is an aged-old customs of the Thai to remember their ancestors and pray them to bless their offspring with good health and prosperity. In the past all families held the ritualin the 7th lunar month. Now they organize it together with the New Year celebration. House worship is a happy event to unite relatives and neighbors, who come to share the happiness with the host and wish them the best in the New Year.”
The food offering is placed on green banana leaves. They prepare a tray of 5 types of fruit, incenses, betel leaves and areca nuts, steamed glutinous rice, liquor, boiled pork and chicken.
When all offerings are placed on the altar, the shaman puts a shirt from the house’s owner next to the offerings. He carefully checks the list of deceased people in the family.
Pig’s organs are boiled, sliced, and mix with fermented bamboo shoots to make a dish for the deceased. Tong Van Hia, a shaman in Mong hamlet, said: “The shaman calls all names in the list to invite them to have a meal with the family. He uses chopsticks to pick some food to feed the souls through a hole on the wall. First, he invites parents of the house’s owner then other family members.”
In Thai custom, the son is in charge of the altar and worshipping three generations. The daughter, who is married, returns to her house and brings a boiled chicken to worship her parents. The ritual begins in the morning through noon.
TongVan Hia said: “At 1 or 2 p.m the shaman asks the house’s owner whether he wants to end the ceremony. If agrees, the shaman performs a ritual to say farewell to the ancestors. Then the family takes the offering down to eat.”