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Songkran From the Past
I f you live in Thailand you are no doubt aware that the celebration of Songkran has been canceled due to Covid-19. From Wikipedia: “ The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Mornings begin with merit-making . Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues and the young and elderly is a traditional ritual on this holiday. It represents purification and the washing away of one's sins and bad luck. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. Paying reverence to ancestors is an important part of Songkran tradition. The holiday is known for its water festival. Major streets are closed to traffic, and are used as arenas for water fights. Celebrants, young and old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other.” Traditional parades are held in most villages . The parad...
An Isaan style funeral
Dear Readers, It’s been a very long time since I posted. I've been a a lazy man! I’ve been thinking about this post for a week or so. I am documenting the funeral of my wife’s aunt who passed away about 10 days ago. I am also using the funeral as a means of talking about the culture surrounding the various ceremonies. Let me be clear from the outset, this is NOT how all funerals in Thailand take place. My wife’s family is initially from the northeastern province of Isaan. Most of the rituals are most likely observed in some form in Isaan. Even in our small village, each funeral can be a bit different. After a mercifully short time of illness, my wife’s aunt died at home. Out of respect for all, I am not posting any pictures or videos of her passing although I was present. In the few days leading up to her passing, most of her family arrived from all corners of Thailand. Some live in our village and some live a full day’s drive away. Local families shared...

