Pee Ta Khon

Pee Ta Khon festival of Daan sai District in Loei is one of the Boon Laung ceremonies and it is a very important tradition. There may have been the same festival in some places around E-san area but this festival is very well known all over the world. Pee Ta Khon is very important to E-san people in many reasons.

What does Pee Ta Khon means? It is a term deviated from the original Pee Tam Kon which the word “Pee” means ghost, “Tam” means follow and “Kon” means human. So, Pee Ta Khon means that the ghost follows the human who is Phavejsandon (the Buddha) on his way to go to the city. It has been held during the end of March to the begining of April every year. It can be called a big event and there is a grand sermon -Tej Mahachat- named the Mahavejsandon Jadoh, the story of last great incarnation of the Buddha.

This merit ceremony takes place for 3 days. The first day, it is called "Wan Ruam" or "Wan Home". It starts in the early morning to inviting the spirits of God known as Phra U-pakut from the Mun River to stay in their area. The procession sets off for Wat Phon Chai Temple. Later in the morning, they parade to the black magician house called Ban Chow Guan.Chow Guan is the black magician who takes care of ghost called Pee Hor Laung. Then, Pee Ta Khon comes to joins with them. The big parade moves forwards to Phon Chai Temple and revolves round the church. By the time a gathering of Pee Ta Khon is increasing, they will run around to tease the villagers all over the village.

On the early morning of the second day, Pee Ta Khon will dance and tease people for fun with their crowd on their ways. In the parade they carrying cooked rice topped with a boiled egg, use as offering (Bai-sri) follows the image of Buddha caravan.There are two sizes of Pee Ta Khon in the parade. The bigger called Pee Ta Khon Yai (“Yai” in thai means big) and the smaller called Pee Ta Khon Lek (“Lek” in thai means small).

Pee Ta Khon Yai is a ghost two times bigger sizes than normal people. It is decorated with anything they can find in their area. There are only two-male and female in each year. It is also more specific than Pee Ta Khon Lek because the players have to receive permission from ghost or god they believe. And when they do so, they must continue play every year, or three year times at least. But Pee Ta Khon Lek is for everyone who wants to play no matter who they are. Children, adults, woman or man can be in the parade and have some fun. Normally, there are a few women in the parade because the play is a quite wild and naughty. The parade must walk around the village before the sunset. When all the activities were finished, Pee Ta Khon Yai players must take off the dresses, and drop it into the Mun River before they back home because they believe that it is bring a bad things, and they will make new dresses for next year. The tourist should come in this day.

The third day is the day of virtue. Buddhists listen a grand sermon at the Pon-Chai temple and no play Pee Ta Khon anymore. Here are the 13 sermons.

- 1. Tod -sa-porn
- 2. Him-ma -parn
- 3. Tarn-na-kun
- 4. Wan-na-pa-wet
- 5. Chu-chok
- 6. Jun-la-phon
- 7. Ma-ha-pon
- 8. Ku-mar
- 9. Mat-see
-10. Sak-ka-bun
-11. Ma-ha-rach
-12. Chor-ka-saad
-13. Na-korn-kun

These sermons take approximately 3 hours. And the most popular is "Ku-marn and Mat-see", which they believe will earn them the merit to meet the Buddha in the next life.