By Netsrai Khemayodhin
We all must eventually confront the ending of our lives and think about those who have already left us. No matter what country or culture we are from, we all must face this inevitable fact. Though we all have this in common we deal with it in a variety of ways. Here are 3 different customs that countries use to celebrate their deceased ancestors.
- Halloween (celebrated worldwide)
As we all know, Halloween is celebrated on October 31st every year in many countries. Halloween is a tradition that originated in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. It was a tradition where people would try to ward off ghosts by lighting bonfires and wearing costumes. Over time, Halloween evolved into a celebration day, during which people go trick or treating, wear costumes, and do all kinds of activities together. Since halloween is so globally celebrated, there are many different versions of Halloween. For example, Czech people celebrate by placing empty chairs in front of fireplaces. In Italy, children wake up to candies laid in front of them by the “risen dead”. Scottish people peel apples and throw them over their shoulders to predict their future spouse’s name. In Germany, people hide all their knives so the returning dead can’t harm other people.
- Qingming Festival (清明)
Qingming is a Chinese celebration of the dead. Another name for Qingming is “Tomb Sweeping Day”, and it takes place in around the first week of April. Qingming is a day to celebrate life and remember/show respect for the dead. On this day, most people visit their deceased ancestors to clean up their graves and offer things like food, money, and flowers.
- Boon Pra Wate (ผีตาโขน)
Boon Pra Wate or Phi Ta Khon is a way Thai people celebrate the dead. It takes place between May and July in Eastern Thailand. In this ceremony, the people that are the “ghosts” will wear masks (that are supposed to be ugly and scary) and very bright clothes. The festival includes a parade of these “ghosts,” dance competitions, a fireball worshipping ceremony, and many more fun activities. Phi Ta Khon has been heavily influenced by Buddhism, which is why on the last day of the celebration, people go to the temple and listen to monks preach and recite the last reincarnation of Buddha.
Although there are many other traditions and ceremonies people from all around the world hold to celebrate the dead, these 3 are the most common ones in Thailand and since we all live in Thailand, we should know the basics about them too.
