Candle Festival

Candle Festival

History about Candle Festival

Before knowing about Candle festival, first you have to know about Thai word “Phansa”

The presentation of candles to monks on Khao Phansa Day is a Buddhist tradition which began long time ago and still continues at present.

Phansa refers to a period of three months in the rainy season. In Phansa period, Buddhist monks have to stay at one particular temple. They are not allowed to stay overnight at other temples during this time. The reason that monks have to stay at one temple is because this period of time is the rice-planting season. If monks travel during this period, they will step on the rice sprouts that have been planted and the crops will be lost. When monks stop their travels during the Buddhist Lent period, they have time to study, and they especially like to read. In the past, when there wasn’t electricity, monks used to light candles during the time that they were reading. When people knew this, they made candles to present to the monks, especially on Khao Phansa Day .

Khao Phansa Day is the first day the eighth month of the lunar calendar, or during the month of July and lond to three months until Ork Phansa Day which is the end of the period of time.

The Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival

There are many interesting festivals in Thailand and Candle Festival is one of interesting festivals. Each province in Thailand has a different candle festival and we will present you specifically Candle festival in Ubon Ratchathani (One of the provinces in the north-east part)

The Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival, the most elaborating of the traditional parading of candles to temple is held in Ubon Ratchathani, Isan, Thailand, during Kao Pansa Day.

At the beginning, it is traditional in preparation for the rainy season for the devout to donate items for the personal use of monks, and of candles to dispel gloom in their monk’s house and elsewhere within the temple.

The people of Ubon Ratchathani are the same as other Buddhists – when Khao Phansa Day arrives, they take candles and present them to monks. In the past, when it was impossible to buy ready-made candles, villagers would use bee’s wax taken from bees’ nests. They would melt the bee’s wax and then immerse a length of cotton to be used as a wick into the molten bee’s wax. Next, the wax would be left until it was cool enough to be rolled by hand, surrounding the wick completely. After that, the candles were cut to the required length and they were then ready for presentation to monks.

Presenting candles to monks in the past did not include a parade and candle contest like we have at present. It was just a presentation of candles along with other offerings to monks and receiving blessings from the monks.

The reason that there must be a parade and a contest like we have today in Ubon Ratchathani came about during the reign of Rama V. After then is often the important event of many village celebrations, but is at its most elaborate in the Ubon Ratchathani version, which nowadays is a major event both for residents and for tourists: giant candles are paraded through the town, each representing a local temple, district or other institution. The more elaborate versions are accompanied by scenes of Hindu and Buddhist mythology sculpted in wood or plaster and coated with wax. Of course, these candles are never burned. The candles are carved a couple of days before the procession.

Although both the candles and the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival Parade are magnificent, beautiful and pleasing to the eye, and there are many activities to take part in, it is already becoming repetitive for the people of Ubon Ratchathani. Because of this, the people of Ubon Ratchathani will try to think of new methods that are different in order to introduce new, strange and exciting things to the festival. One new thing that has been heard of is to parade the candles on water. This is because Ubon Ratchathani is on the Moon River which is an important waterway and passes through the city too. The parading of the candles on water will lead to many new activities and methods.

How to make Candle for The Candle Festival

1. Find Tools and Materials

1.1 Natural wax

1.2 Marble Model 1.3 Shape Iron

1.4 Hot water

1.5 Cold water

1.6 Washing powder

1.7 Empty bottle

1.8 Lubrication

1.9 Stone

2. Prepare the wax

2.1 Slice off the wax
2.2 Cut the wax till has small size
2.3 Pour some hot water to wax 2.4 Start press wax 2.5 Press wax until wax mixed done 2.6 If wax will be solid, pour more hot water 2.7 We will get the wax that ready to make a design

3. Make a design on the wax

3.1 Put the wax on the model 3.2 Spread out the wax on the model 3.3 Put in the cold water 3.4 After that, put it on the mirror 3.5 Cut it from the model with the shape iron. 3.6 We have a design wax.

4. Stick the design wax on the candle

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubon_Ratchathani_Candle_Festival

http://www.ethailand.com/index.php?id=1130

http://www.ubonguide.org/book14/formcover14_1e.html

Members

Kanlachan Itthipatachai 513081011-9 Spanish Major.

Sarayut Sirichan 513081017-7 Spanish Major.