Kham Ho 2022
Ceremony of Ho
– From March 9 to 12, 2022 –
Friday, March 4, 2022
- Manufacture of wooden supports
Sunday March 6, 2022
- Cleaning of the Ho (exterior and interior)
- Pruning of the caïmitier (tree whose fruit is the milk apple)
- Repair of the roof of the Ho (whose damage was caused by branches broken during bad weather)
- Setting up supports
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
7 Kham – “Meu Phad Mak”
(Day of preparations and invitation of the deities)
Morning:
Crossing the Mekong towards Ban Xieng Mène to pick flowers from Asoka (known as “Dok Sisouk” and “Dok Kham Pha Ma” in Laos) at the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden whose director opened the doors to us exceptionally.
Afternoon :
– Preparation of the “Vane Mak-Vane Phou” offerings: 36 in number, they are carefully placed on a large tray.
– 2 “Tone Pheung” (intended for the two main deities, and which will be deposited at Vat That Luang only at the end of Kham Ho)
– 1 crown of Asoka flowers (intended for Thou Euaï Sam Phiou, Princess Naga and daughter-in-law of the two main deities)
– Decoration of the Ho and arrangement of the places provided for the deities.
5 pm :
Small ceremony where the medium and the Kouane Ho invite the deities to descend into the world of the living on the day when the ritual will take place (that is to say the next day: 8 Kham). The Vane Mak-Vane Phou tray is placed in the middle.
Thursday, March 10, 2022
8 Kham – “Meu Kham Ho”
(Ritual day)
Early in the morning, talismans (woven from bamboo and tied with branches of “Tone Nad”), called “Ta Lèo”, are placed in four places.
Prepared before each ritual, they are given a protective action but also a warning to all those who cross the entrance to the sacred place.
Traditional “Maholi” music in the spotlight:
Before playing their instrument, the musicians must pray, accompanied by “Khaï Séb Phid Sa Nou” offerings.
The Kham Ho ceremony starts around 9am.
The first deity to introduce himself is the patriarch. Descendants may call it “Thou Pou”, while others call it “Thou Pho”.
The person who holds the role of the dresser has the duty to dress the deities with their respective outfit which dates back generations.
The deities give their blessing (“haï phone”) by breathing their wishes of protection through the cotton threads (“faï”) that they tie around the two wrists. In return, we thank them by joining our two hands (“nob”).
The living can also ask for advice (“kab loong”) about the future, illnesses,… On the other hand, no lottery or game of chance (“kane pha nane”).
Thou Pou can also, at the request of the living, soothe ailments (“pao mone kha tha”) while waiting to go to the doctor.
It is with impatience that the living wait to see the ancestors come down each in turn to give their blessing and/or dance.
However, for this year, only Thou Pou and his wife Thou Gna (for the descendants, otherwise “Thou Mè” for the others) descended into the mortal world only to give their blessing.
Around 10 a.m., the dishes are brought to the ancestors. Two candles are lit on each tray. Once they have received the offerings, it is the turn of the living to feast. According to the beliefs, it would allow to have health and prosperity, but it also depends on the living condition of each one.
This year, people wanted to make offerings by bringing fruit platters (7 to 9 different fruits).
You should know that they were not accepted by the deities, and on the contrary offended them.Traditionally, fruit platters are not part of the Kham Ho ritual.
They are more associated with Vietnamese culture for example, and not Laos.
Friday, March 11, 2022
9 Kham – “Meu Kè Sao”
(Tug of war game day)
It is at the end of the day around 5 p.m. that the ceremony begins.
The first deity to descend is always the patriarch. The Kouane Ho must report the list of expenses and donations to the Ho.
As for the day before, Thou Pou then gives his blessing (“haï phone”) by tying cotton threads (“faï”) to the wrists of those who have not yet received one.
Then the Kouane Ho asks the patriarch who is the next divinity to come down to arbitrate the game of “Kè Sao”. Usually, it is his youngest son (Thou Ta) who is designated for this role (“Houa Na Kè Sao”).
Kè Sao opposes women to men.
Namely that you have to wait for daybreak in the world of the deities before you can begin. This corresponds to nightfall in the mortal world.
The ritual is that we light and place candles along the way to illuminate the place where the game will take place.
The winner is determined after 3 tug of war games.
But for this year, there was only one part because the medium was very tired.
The “Kè Sao” marks the end of the ritual.
The ancestors wave “goodbye” to us and return to their world while waiting for the following year.
The Kouane Ho, as well as all of us, thank them by joining our two hands (“nob”) and ask for mercy if there were any incorrect things or errors during the ritual. It is true that times are changing and we cannot always do what we used to.
Saturday March 12, 2022
10 Kham – “Meu Soukhouane Mè Lieng”
(Day of thanks and end of the Kham Ho ceremony)
9 am: “Soukhouane Mè Lieng”
We thank the medium who, without her, no link could and cannot be made with the deities.
After the small ceremony, the Kouane Ho as well as the medium “greet” (“nob”) the deities.
To end the Kham Ho ceremony, it is traditional that it is the medium who must take the two “Tone Pheung” to Vat That Luang.
Although the Kham Ho is over, we have to put everything away except for the two main squares of Thou Pou and Thou Gna, because the medium must come to honor and pray to the ancestors (“Bousa Nob Vaï”) every ” 15 Kham” at Ho Gou. This corresponds to the days of the new moon and the full moon.
Sunday March 13, 2022
Last storage and cleaning of the Ho.
