Yay! Another public holiday tomorrow!

It was boring here in school today. I only had two classes to enter and those periods were movie period (a promised came true to the kids). Planned to have them watch Larry Boy's series...but ended up with another selection which I was quite dissapointed with and I am pretty sure the kids were dissapointed too. Talking about disadvantages of being a subject teacher...!!!

I've been in Thailand long enough that I've enjoyed every public holiday there is, but when it comes to explaining what certain holiday is for, my reply usually is "I don't know." How ignorant is that? Being in Thailand and not knowing the significance of their holidays...

Visakha Bucha Day is synonym to "Vesak Day" as we call it in Malaysia. The purpose is to worship Buddha on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month. In the case of a year with an extra eighth lunar month, it falls on the full moon day of the seventh lunar month. So every year, Buddhists throughout the world gather together to worship, recollecting wisdom, purity and compassion of their god Buddha.

According to history, Buddha passed away on Tuesday, Wesak's full moon day in the year of the snake, under two Sal trees in the Sala Grove of the Mallas in Kusinara, capital of the Malla State at the age of 80. This happened of course many many years ago .

Rituals done on Visakha Bucha day had been observed continuously in Jambudavipa or India, the motherland of Buddhism, for a long time before Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka and Thailand. In Thailand, Visakha Bucha observance began during the Sukhothai period (about 700 years ago), because of the close religion relationship between Thailand and Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan monks came to propagate Buddhism in Thailand and were highly respected. Thai monks also went to study Sri Lanka for study purposes. It's believed that these monks were the one to introduce this ceremony to the king and people during that time.  -- Reading source: thaicongenvancouver.com

To all who celebrates this day, Happy Visakha Bucha Day!!

While Thailand is celebrating Visakha Bucha (this year it's extra special since Thai was chosen as the host for this celebration), its neighboring country Malaysia, specifically Sabah and Sarawak are celebrating Harvest Festival! In Sabah, this festival is better known as Tadau Kaamatan, while in Sarawak they call this festival Hari Gawai.

Raised in several kampungs in Sabah, I know how Kaamatan is generally celebrated. Every year throughout May, most kadazandusun househo lds are ready with several tajau (clay jar) in-lined throughout their kitchen wall. What's inside the tajau? You bet!! The ever famous tapai or lihing (brewed rice wine). Whenever there's ramai-ramai (open house) in one of my neighborhood house, the household will have lots of authentic food, aunthentic drinks, full-volumed loud speaker connected to a (v)cd-player for activity such as karaoke, equipt with a local ever screaming DJ/VJ plus lots of "Aramai Tihhhhhhhhh" from the critical mass. Don't ask me to explain what is "aramai tih" coz I might interpret it wrongly. If you read Malay, then go to Kadus's forum.

So, Selamat menyambut hari Pesta Menuai dan hari Gawai!!