One of the essential festivals for southern people in Thailand is Sart Duen Sib, which has continuously been celebrated since the ancient time to the present day. Buddhists believe that their spirit relatives and Pred, sinners living in hell, are momentary permitted by King of Hell to leave and meet their relatives in the evening of the waning moon of the tenth lunar month, and return on the fifteenth waning moon of the tenth lunar month. In Nakhonsithammarat, people celebrate this festival for three days.
On the thirteenth waning moon of the tenth lunar month is “Purchasing Day”. People buy fruits and items for making confections which are the symbols of the festival.
Southern people will do rite on the fourteenth waning moon of the tenth lunar month. On this day, people prepared and decorated”Mhrab”-the total of confections, rice, fruits, joss-sticks, candles, flowers, and spices like a pagoda. Then , they set up a parade of “Mharb” and decorate it with flowers. After that, they move the parade to the temple in the neighborhood area to offer "Mharb" to Buddhist monks.
People make merit for ancestors and ghosts on the fifteenth waning moon of the tenth lunar month. In the morning, they go to the temple with pictures and bone of ancestors and dedicate for them. Next, they combine the confections in trays and lay them down for offering to demons. Once the trays are put down, a bunch of people snatch the food called “snatching demons” or “Ching Pret”. They believe that eating the leftover food from worshiping the ancestors will bring them merit.
Sart Duen Sib is important festival for Southern families to reunite. They express gratitude to ancestors and dedicate for them. They do this in the tenth lunar month, or in September of every year.
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