Celebrating the New Year the religious way

Many Buddhists in Thailand will cross into the New Year tomorrow by chanting prayers at Sanam Luang, national and historical parks, shopping malls and temples nationwide as well as certain temples abroad.

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Religious countdowns

Pichaya Svasti

Many Buddhists in Thailand will cross into the New Year tomorrow by chanting prayers at Sanam Luang, national and historical parks, shopping malls and temples nationwide as well as certain temples abroad.

It has long been the tradition in the Kingdom that on New Year's Eve, Thai Buddhists gather at the temples to pray and meditate together and listen to sermons about living good lives. It is a way of bringing people together before the year starts, receiving blessings and making merit.

This year, the event will be more important to Thai people as prayers will be said for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away on Oct 13. Everyone is invited to join the prayers and a traditional Thai candlelighting ceremony dedicated to the Kingdom, Buddhism and the Thai monarchy.

Some of the major venues of the cross-year prayers include Sanam Luang, the Temple of Dawn, Wat Pho and Wat Bowon Niwet in Bangkok, Wat Suan Dok and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden in Chiang Mai, Choen Tawan Farm in Chiang Rai, Sukhothai Historical Park in Sukhothai, Wat Kut Or in Kalasin, Pha Taem National Park in Ubon Ratchathani, the Thao Suranaree statue in Nakhon Ratchasima, Phanom Naga Space in Nakhon Phanom, Wat Maha That in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Wat Khlong Wan in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phrom Thep Cape in Phuket and Central Festival Hat Yai in Songkhla.

Fourteen border provinces also will organise Asean cross-year prayers. They are Mae Hong Son, Tak, Loei, Nong Khai, Bung Kan, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Si Sa Ket, Sa Kaeo, Satun, Ranong and Songkhla.

At all the designated venues, the events will begin at 9pm with an 89-second silence to pay respects to King Bhumibol. From 11.45pm-midnight, New Year's Eve prayers will take place. At midnight, a gong will be struck nine times while the people will sing the songs Phorn Phi Mai (New Year Blessings) and Sawasdee Phi Mai (Hello New Year) to mark the New Year.

On Jan 1 at 12.09am, candles will be lit and prayers will take place to welcome the New Year. The following morning, traditional merit-making activities will take place across Thailand. A number of Thai people will visit nine temples within the day to seek blessings for 2017.

The dress code for the Jan 1 events is black for government officials and state enterprise employees and white for civilians.

To seek more New Year's blessings, Buddhists may want to pay respect to 10 of the major Buddha statues from the Front Palace (Wang Na) at Phutthaisawan Throne Hall in the compound of the National Museum Bangkok from 9am-4pm daily until Jan 31.

The statues on display are, for instance, Phra Buddha Sihing, which is in honour of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great of Sukhothai Kingdom, and nine other statues in honour of Thailand's Kings.

The objectives of the special activity are to allow the people to worship the Buddha statues and express their gratitude towards the previous and current Thai monarchs and to raise public awareness of the importance of national heritage.

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Visit http://www.dra.go.th or http://www.facebook.com/drathai.gov for details on the prayer events.  Contact the National Museum Bangkok on 02-224-1333 for details on the Front Palace statues.

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