Royal Ploughing Ceremony: Ancient Rituals for a Bountiful Harvest
The Ploughing
Ceremony is a colourful, ancient tradition celebrated only in Bangkok. Held
at Sanam Luang, it is presided over by King Bhumibol and marks the official
start of the rice-planting season. Which heralds the start of the new rice-growing
season, this was undertaken to assure a successful planting season and an
abundance of the nation's crops.
The ceremony begins with the Lord of the Harvest performing a rite to
predict the amount of rainfall in the coming season. This is done by
selecting one of three pieces of cloth of varying lengths. At the auspicious
time following the arrival of His Majesty the King and members of the Royal
Family, the Lord of the Harvest begins to plough the field and sows the rice
seeds from the baskets carried by the Celestial Maidens. At the end of the
ploughing ceremony, the ceremonial bulls are led to troughs, each containing
one of seven different offerings of food or drink namely, paddy, green beans,
maize, hay, sesame seed, water and liquor.
Predictions regarding the success of the harvest and the abundance of particular crops in the coming season are determined by the items selected by the bulls. Then as the barricades are removed, hundreds rush into the field hoping to gather a few sacred rice grains scattered by the Lord of Harvest. These are either mixed with the farmer's own rice stock to ensure a good crop in the coming year, or simply kept as a token of good luck.
Bun Bang Fai: Rocket Festival--Yasothon
This annual festival, villagers fashion rockets of all kinds, some of them several meters long, the lunching of which is believed to ensure plentiful rains during the forthcoming rice planting season. As for the rocket, the higher it goes, the better the rains. Then, the rocket competition begins with the same rule - the rocket that goes the highest is the winner of the game. If a rocket fails to take off or explores, the owner will be unceremoniously thrown into the mud, accompanies the event, with beauty parades, folk dancing and stage shows.
Visakha Puja
Visakha Puja is a public holiday on the night of the full moon in May that commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha, as the three things are said to have happened on the same day. Temples throughout the country are crowed with people who listen to sermons by revered monks. In the evening there is a solemn candlelit procession around main chapels.
Fruit Fairs
There are annual fairs in Chaing Mai, Rayong, Chantaburi, Trat and several other locations throughout Thailand to celebrate the harvest of lychees, durian, mangosteen, rambutan, jackfruit and zalacca. Besides stalls selling the fruit of the surrounding orchard, there are beauty pageants, cultural shows and local entertainment.
