For those who appreciate cultural and religious tourism, the “Flower Merit-Making Festival” or “Flower Alms Offering” should not be missed. This event will be held from August 2-3, 2023, at Wat Jindamanee in Ban Paeng Subdistrict, Prom Buri District, Sing Buri Province.
The project to perpetuate the flower merit-making tradition during the Buddhist Lent is an attempt to continue the flower merit-making (flower alms offering) tradition associated with the Buddhist Lent in Ban Paeng Subdistrict for the year 2023. This local tradition hails from the people of Vientiane, Laos, the ancestors of the Ban Paeng community, who migrated and established their settlement since the reign of King Rama III and have been passing down this tradition for a long time.
The tradition of offering Lent candles and flowers involves placing sticky rice and flowers in a basket and offering it to the monks as they walk into the chapel to commence the Buddhist Lent on the first waning moon of the eighth lunar month. The term "Yaay" (Yaay Dok Mai) is a distorted version of the word "Yai" in Lao language, which means to distribute or give. Hence, "Yaay Dok Mai" signifies the act of giving or offering flowers to monks for worshiping Lord Buddha.
The festival includes various activities such as flower alms offering ceremony, cloth offering ceremony, Lent candle offering, tasting and shopping local Sing Buri food, and viewing tools used in gold-making, pottery, and basket weaving, which reflect the lifestyle of the Laotian community in the past. There will also be Basalop dance performances and performances from ethnic groups.
Source: Ministry of Culture
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