Fan Club Thailand
I got curious about whether Thai people celebrated Halloween or not; especially if the kids did the equivalent of “trick-or-treating.”
__________________
“Phi Ta Khon Festival (Ghost Festival) 2025. The Phi Ta Khon Festival, more commonly known as the Ghost Festival of Thailand, is a colorful part in Thailand’s rich tradition of ghost and spirit folklore and bears a passing resemblance to Mexico’s Día de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead.”
Rooted in Asian culture, it is an annual event held to honor and appease restless spirits. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Buddhist and Taoist beliefs. According to ghost festival history, the gates of the underworld open during the seventh month of the lunar calendar.
The Ghost Festival, or Phi Ta Khon, is not held in Chiang Mai but in Dan Sai district, Loei province, during the rainy season, typically late June to early July. It is a colorful festival featuring participants in elaborate ghost masks and costumes, parades, and religious ceremonies to honor spirits.
- Activities:
- Parade: A major highlight is the main parade on the first day, featuring participants in elaborate ghost masks and costumes.
- Religious ceremonies: The event includes prayers and ceremonies at local temples, such as Wat Phon Chai.
- Rocket festival: The second day often incorporates elements of a rocket festival (Bun Bang Fai) to ask for rain.
- Symbolic rituals: A tradition involves a symbolic discarding of costumes into the river to let go of suffering. “
- ______________________________
This is a much more serious celebration than our Halloween, and though children are included, the masks and costumes of the adults are what have the concentration.
creativeartworksblog 