The
ceremony of moving into a new house in Thai is called keun ban mai,
literally "going up into a new house"; in former times most
Thai houses were built on stills to avoid flooding in the rainy season.
The auspicious time for moving
in must first be found. Saturdays are very unlucky, but Sundays are
good. Before the auspicious day, all the heavy furniture, such as beds,
tables and chairs, are moved in.
At the auspicious hour the
owner and his family enter the new house carrying their personal Buddha
images, some food and some money. The Buddha images are set up in their
new permanent positions - they must always face either East or North.
The housewife immediately prepares a meal, even though it is perhaps
three o'clockin the morning. This formalises the act of "moving
in". The money is brought in order to ensure future prosperity.
A few days later the religious
keun ban mai ceremony is held. This is purely Buddhist, and
is a blessing of the new home and a house-warming party all in one.
Once again, five, seven,
or preferably nine monks are invited. Before they arrive, the white
thread known as sai sin will have been draped completely round
the compound to keep out evil spirits and consecrate everything inside
it.
The monks take their places
on cushions placed round the wall, the senior monk on the right. Candles
are lit. The ball of white thread is passed from one monk to the next,
each holding the thread between the palms of the hands in the wai
position.
For perhaps an hour the monks
chant. Afterwards the house-owner offers them food. Later everyone kneels
in turn before the senior monk, who sprinkles holy water on their heads.
One final important rite remains. As the monks prepare to leave, the
senior monkanoints every door in the house, and especially the front
door, with seven or nine spots of white paste. With that, the ceremony
is at an end. After the house has been inuse for some time, the owner
may choose to put up a miniature spirit house in a corner of the compound,
where the chao tee or spirit of the land may live.
-------------------------
Information
from: "Thai
Ways" by Denis Segaller.
This is a great book for anyone who wants
to learn about the Thai culture. I use it very often to answer
questions about Thai culture that people asked me.
