Boon Khao Sak Thai-Lao Vieng The "Boon Khao Sak" tradition of the Thai-Lao Vieng people in Ban Sing Subdistrict, Photharam District, Ratchaburi Province, also known as "Sart Lao" or "Gae Kho Khao," is a ceremony rooted in Buddhist beliefs and gratitude towards ancestors. It is a way to show respect to sacred beings that ensure agricultural abundance and to pray for prosperity in the coming year. This tradition takes place in the middle of the tenth lunar month, coinciding with the rice harvest season. It is a religious offering made to dedicate merit to the gods, the earth, and the ancestors who have helped protect and guide the farmers in cultivating rice.

 

Boon Khao Sak is an essential tradition for the Thai-Lao Vieng community, especially after the rice harvest. Historically, the practice had both social and religious significance. The people of Thai-Lao Vieng believed that making offerings during this time would bring good fortune and prosperity to both their lives and agriculture. The ceremony is a way to apologize and thank their ancestors and nature for providing the valuable rice harvest to the community.

 

A few days before Boon Khao Sak, the villagers come together to prepare "Kuan Khao Tok," a key ingredient in making "Phaya Sart" cakes. They mix the puffed rice in containers like jars, pots, and baskets. This activity only happens once a year and is important as it produces the cakes to be shared with neighbors, relatives, and friends as offerings and merit dedication to the ancestors. Afterward, they prepare the rice and cakes to offer during the Buddhist ceremony.

 

Phaya Sart cakes, or "Khanom Krayasart" as they are called by the Thai-Lao Vieng people, are sweets made from local agricultural products such as puffed rice, sesame seeds, beans, and sugar from sugarcane or toddy palm. These ingredients are mixed to create a sweet, fragrant, and chewy cake, which holds religious and ceremonial importance during the Sart Lao day. The cakes are distributed to neighbors and relatives, and they are also used in religious offerings.

 

Although agricultural activities have decreased in the Thai-Lao Vieng community, and many families no longer farm as they once did, the Boon Khao Sak tradition continues to be passed down and practiced. The form of making Khao Sak has evolved in some ways, such as using containers like trays, tiffin boxes, or baskets instead of wrapping the rice in banana leaves as was traditionally done. Additionally, new ingredients, like coconut milk, cream, or butter, have been incorporated to create a variety of flavors. Despite these changes, the religious ceremonies related to Sart Lao remain rooted in the community's original beliefs and practices.

 

The Boon Khao Sak tradition of the Thai-Lao Vieng people in Ban Sing, Ratchaburi Province, reflects the community's Buddhist beliefs and respect for the sacred beings that protect rice cultivation and other agricultural crops. This tradition has been passed down through generations, and even though some aspects of it have changed, the significance of offering merit and showing gratitude to the ancestors and to the gods remains a central part of the lives of the Thai-Lao Vieng people. It is a demonstration of filial piety and thanks for the prosperity and abundance that the community enjoys.