Dinner with the departed
November 2, 2011
By Phoowadon Duangmee
Khukhan, Si Sa Ket
The Festival of the Dead is full of life and colour in Si Sa Ket
There is no such thing as a Halloween party in Srisaket, a northeastern province that shares a border with Cambodia. But in the small town of Khukhan, the Khmer-speaking communities have their own way of celebrating the dead: the annual Saen Donta Festival where they feed the deceased members of their families.
"Sons, daughters, in-laws, grandchildren - all family members will return home," says an 80-something grandmother, as she starts to explain the notion of this reunion of family members - both alive and dead - for the Saen Donta Festival. "The members [the one who are alive, of course] help to prepare the food and offer it to the dead ones."
Do dead and the living have dinner together, I wonder?
The mysterious traditions of Saen Donta have always intrigued me. So late in September, shortly after the harvesting season, I hoof it up to Khukhan district some 65 kilometres east of downtown Si Sa Ket where I fully expect a spooky, almost paranormal experience that will send me skedaddling to the nearest temple.
What I find is a small town springing to life with dances of joy and throngs of beautiful floral floats. The local people, dressed in their unique tribal costumes, carry baskets full of roasted chicken, barbecued fish, fried meats, mainly pork, vegetables, cigarettes and jars of rice wine before gathering at the public park in front of the town hall. Apparently, this impressive feast should make the hungry ghosts happy for a few days.
"We, the Kui people, have a strong commitment to making offerings during the Saen Donta Festival," says Suwan, the old Kui woman. The Kui are a Khmer-speaking people who are scattered around Si Sa Ket, Surin, Buri Ram and the southern part of Thailand's Northeast. "Otherwise, the hungry spirits will curse us."
The Saen Donta Festival lasts for two days, kicking off the day before the new moon of the 10th Lunar Month.
"On the eve of new moon, the relatives will bring tray of offerings - including roasted chicken, pork, khao tom and dessert - to the family at the top of their lineage," says the woman. "Names of every departed one will be called to take the offering. Not a single name is to be missed or we're in trouble with the curse of the deceased ancestor."
On the second day, the day of new moon, the villagers wake up early to make offerings at the community temple. Once back from the temple, the villagers take small portions of food to their paddy fields and leave them around for the wandering hungry ghosts - whose relatives probably don't care to feed them.
I'm happy to be a living visitor to the Saen Donta tradition
Actually, the festival is a real treat for hungry travellers too and we catch sight of several Saen Donta "groupies" convening along the main road. As we're waiting for the new floats to arrive, the locals offer the onlookers some steamed rice buns, bananas and sort of rice cake. Gulping down the throat-burning, home-made rice wine, I practise my Khmer and earn some good-natured laughter.
We spend all day at the festival before Si Sa Ket's governor arrives on elephant-back in a grand procession. He presides over the offerings, again involving tonnes of food, to Takacha - the most important departed Kui hero in Khukhan.
The rite ends as the last incense burns down to ashes and the villagers head home with baskets full of roasted chicken for dinner.
1 comment:
Nice Khmer representation in Thailand. Keep our culture alive.
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