{"id":513433,"date":"2022-09-26T11:57:35","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T04:57:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/?post_type=culture_heritage&p=513433"},"modified":"2025-05-15T19:03:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T12:03:34","slug":"sart-duen-sip-a-feast-for-the-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/sart-duen-sip-a-feast-for-the-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"Sart Duen Sip: A Feast for the Dead"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The belief that the world of the living and the world of the dead exists in parallel is a part of many cultures around the world, and when the gate between the two worlds opens, festivals and ceremonies will be held in the world of the living to welcome the spirits of the deceased who return for a visit. We may be familiar with Halloween of the Western cultures, Dia de los Muertos of Mexico, Qingming of China, and Obon of Japan. In Thailand, we have a tradition of Sart Duen Sip<\/em> (\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e23\u0e17\u0e40\u0e14\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e19\u0e2a\u0e34\u0e1a), the time when families from the two worlds reunite and those who are still alive will show their love and gratitude to those who passed away.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is Sart Duen Sip?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sart Duen Sip<\/em> literally means the festival of the tenth month, in which Sart<\/em> (\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e23\u0e17) is the word for festival, Duen<\/em> (\u0e40\u0e14\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e19) for month, and Sip<\/em> (\u0e2a\u0e34\u0e1a) for ten. In this context, the tenth month is not October as in the solar calendar, but a lunar month, which is determined by the lunar phases. Therefore, the period of the tenth month varies slightly each year, but always overlaps between August and October. The day of the festival strictly falls on the 15th<\/sup> night of the waning moon in the tenth month. This tradition originated in Southern Thailand. In essence, Sart Duen Sip<\/em> is one of the many merit-making traditions of the Buddhist society, but what sets this tradition apart is the beneficiaries who are \u201cpretas<\/em>\u201d returning briefly from hell.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Belief about the pretas<\/em> and their visit to the world of the living<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A Buddhist belief says that people who have committed good deeds while they are alive will spend their time after death in heaven, but if they commit bad deeds, they will be destined to hell and become pretas<\/em> [\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e15] or hungry ghosts. A preta <\/em>is a monster as tall as a palm tree, having long hair, a long neck, a big stomach, hands as large as palm leaves, but a mouth as small as a needle hole. Pretas<\/em> look like walking bones and are always hungry because no food can pass through the tiny needle holes of their mouths. When there are merit-making events, they will come to ask for merits in order to be reborn and end their suffering in hell. Merits devoted by the living are the only substance that nourishes the pretas <\/em>while paying for their bad karmas in the abyss, but on the first day of the tenth month, these sinners will be temporarily released as the gate between the two worlds is open. They will return to the living world to reap the merits from their families before heading back to the dungeon hell. On this occasion, people who wish to express their gratitude to their deceased relatives and help release them in case they might be suffering in hell will bring food to the temple and observe the tradition of Sart Duen Sip<\/em>. There is also a belief that any good deeds or merits committed on this day will be fully received by the deceased who will have a higher chance of paying off their karmic debts and be reborn.<\/span><\/p>\n

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(Photo Credit: me-story.com<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Ritual<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The merit making ritual of Sart Duen Sip<\/em> consists of three steps and lasts three days, as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Arranging the \u201cHmu Rub<\/em>\u201d on the 13th<\/sup> night of the waning moon <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u201cHmu Rub<\/em>\u201d [\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e38\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a] has the same meaning as \u201csamrub<\/em><\/a>\u201d in the central Thai dialect, which means a set meal. On this day, the market will be crowded with people shopping food to be arranged in hmus<\/em>. Arraning a hmu<\/em> is a family activity, and it can be as large or small depending on to whom it will be given to. The container for a hmu<\/em> is usually a basket or tray made of woven bamboo.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Some families may prepare a special hmu rub<\/em> known as \u201cHmu Lek<\/em>\u201d or a small hmu<\/em> and set a separate date for handing it over to the souls of deceased grandparents. We call this day \u201cGrandparents\u2019 Welcoming Day\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    (Photo Credit: WU Library<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. Offering the \u201cHmu Rub<\/em>\u201d on the 14th<\/sup> night of the waning moon<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      On this day, the living family members will come together to carry the prepared hmus<\/em> to the temple and offer them to the monks. People in the same village may organize a parade along the path to the temple to add a merry atmosphere to the tradition.<\/span><\/p>\n

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      (Photo Credit: bee6002880<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. Celebrating the \u201cHmu Rub<\/em>\u201d on the 15th<\/sup> night of the waning moon<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Today\u2019s main event is to send the ghosts of the suffering relatives on their way back to hell. The celebration of hmu rubs<\/em> consists of offering food to the monks and the ceremony of funeral robes offering. It is believed that if the ritual is not performed on this day, the deceased ancestors will not receive any merit and the living descendants will be considered unfilial.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        Ching Pret<\/em><\/strong> (Fighting for food offered to pretas<\/em>)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        After the celebration of hmu rubs <\/em>and the funeral robes offering are concluded, people like to put spare sweets at different locations in the temple area, or at the roots of big trees, or on the temple walls. This practice is called \u201cTang Pret<\/em>\u201d which means to present food offerings to pretas<\/em> without family. In some temples, a scaffolding called \u201cSala Pret<\/em>\u201d (a pavilion for pretas<\/em>) is built for specifically this activity. A holy thread will be tied to the pavilion to transfer the merit from the temple to familyless pretas<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        After the Buddhist ceremony in the church is finished and the holy thread is lifted off the pavilion. The next activity is \u201cChing Pret<\/em>\u201d or to fight for food offered to pretas<\/em>. Adults and children alike will be running to the pavilion and fighting for the sweets, believing that eating leftovers from the offerings will give them a large amount of merits and bring prosperity to themselves and families. Some temples build a scaffolding on a single, high and slippery pillar, making it more challenging to ching pret<\/em>. Many would fall from the pillar because it is slippery or because other competitors pull them down. These added hurdles mean that it requires more effort to climb the pillar, thus more fun and exciting.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        Snacks of the festival<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        Snacks play an important role as offerings to the dead. Each of the snacks symbolizes different \u201cgifts\u201d for the dead, who are suffering from harsh conditions in hell.<\/span><\/p>\n