After we completed Rice Growing Season, we will have Rice growing Festival (making merit for Buddhist people). This festival may know by Lao, calling Boun Khao Padapdin or Hungry Ghost Festival, it is a chance for people who are alive to make merit to the person who died in your family (ancestors),
1. To worship the Land of a ghost who is supporting us for food, protect your area and everything … etc. for our good life.
2. The chance to cook for our ancestors.
3. Make merit for the ghost who pass away without a relative /nobody make merit for them.
Rice growing festival the original people will prepare food next we will make by banana leaves, lotus leave as a bowl, but now a day people in the city they will put in plastic and put all thing inside the bowl for many hungry ghosts.
The list below are important food that we cannot miss out, and for others, you can put as your ancestor like to eat.
Food and Fruit
• Sticky rice /rice already cooked
• Dry meat /fish, salt
• Fruits … etc. the thing that you prepare to cook, just put into the bowl
The day after the Kong give signal the proper time is around 04:00 – 06:00 am, then you can put the thing to worship in front of your house, wall outside at your house area and temple area, field and you have to put fire on candle and incense and prepare water to pour down to the land (or no need to pour water, but you just make a wish) , when you called for ancestors, the ghost who look after the land and protect your area or just call them.
Said: my name is [Say out your name] I was given this food to worship the land of ghost, ancestors and the ghost who hasn’t had family to make a wish or give the food to them, please come to take, if all of you can get it, please be good in your world and release from suffering, and born to a good place for your next life.
Remark** this food not need to bring to the monk before you give to the ghost, just go straight to them on this day only.
Growing Festival ends, next in early morning start 07:00 am a lot of people also live to go to temple for offer food to the monk and make a good wish to ancestors, that day you will see a lot of people in the temple with beautiful dress, and every office they allow all employee to go to work late at 09:00 AM – 010:00 AM or off half-day because this is Lao culture to make merit for their family and friends. And finally, we also have Candlelight procession surround the temple in the evening around 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.