Sart Chin Day

While Thailand is not a particularly cosmopolitan country, it does possess a large number of peoples of various descent, including a large number of Chinese, Indian, as well as Mon and other minority groups who form part of the nation, while accommodating or blending many of these peoples' various traditions and beliefs.


One of the biggest influences in Thailand is Chinese, since a large number of people are descendants of merchants from China who settled in the country after trading with the kingdom over several centuries. These early settlers brought with them many beliefs, ceremonies, and influences from their home countries, such as lunar worship and other activities related to astral forces.

But of all the ceremonies marked by the country's Chinese or Thai-Chinese residents, the one I personally find most interesting is the Ghost Festival, which is held on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month (following the Chinese calendar).

Sart Chin Day and Sart Chin Month, which feature the words used in Thai to describe the Ghost Festival, usually fall sometime between August and September on the Georgian calendar. Last year (2009), Sart Chin month was celebrated during August 1-30, whereas this year it falls during August 19-September 18.

'Roaming' holiday
It is widely believed that on Sart Chin Day, the three realms of Heaven, Hell and the Earth open up for a whole month so that spirits can roam the earth in search of food and entertainment. These ghosts are thought to be Chinese ancestors, including ones who did not receive a proper send off after passing away. In light of such beliefs, it is also thought to be the best period for people to pay their respects to the dearly departed.

As well as organizing food offering ceremonies to pay homage to the spirits of their ancestors, which are typically held at home, people also participate in a ceremony called Ting Krachad ('Throw the basket away'), which is organized at Chinese temples, shrines or within the compounds of charitable organizations.

While there are several different tales and beliefs that are said to have brought about this ceremony, the ceremony itself tends to vary little from shrine to shrine. The core concepts are to make merit and share this merit with the spirits of the departed, while distributing food and other necessities for those in the community who are in need.

On the first day of the 7th month in the Chinese lunar calendar, Chinese temples and charitable organizations invite people to donate food or money by placing the offerings in flat bamboo trays. Sometimes a bamboo or rattan hat is used instead of a tray, which represents a house providing shade for its residents.

During this period, people also prepare offerings of food, incense, and representations of many materialistic items common in day to day life made from paper, such as cars, gold, houses, and even cellphones! These paper items are eventually set alight during the ceremony as a way of sending them on to the wandering ancestral spirits.


The big day
On Sart Chin Day, people will take offerings of food during the morning to temples or shrines and place them on tables prepared for this purpose as a way of pleasing the spirits. During this period, religious ceremonies are organized so people can pay their respects to their departed ancestors, as well as other 'wandering spirits' in the hope that they won't intrude into the real world, bringing with them bad luck.