First furrow holiday in Thailand (13/05)

The annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony is usually held in May at Sanam Luang Royal Park, near the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. This ancient ceremony commemorates the successful start of the new agricultural season. It takes place on an equally large scale in Cambodia, but the dates may differ.

The First Furrow ceremony is of Brahmanic origin and was practiced before the Buddha was born. When Buddha was a prince, he also took part in this ceremony. A favorable day and time for the ceremony are set by Brahmins.

Nowadays, although Their Majesties are present at the ceremony, the king no longer plays a leading role in it. His Majesty appoints the Chief Plowman as his representative to perform this beautiful rite. The main goal of this — ceremony is to correctly predict the amount of precipitation in the upcoming season. The Chief Ploughman is offered a choice of three identical-looking pieces of fabric. If he chooses the longest section, then light precipitation should be expected next year, if the shortest, then the year will be rainy, and a section of fabric of medium length means moderate precipitation.

The Chief Plowman then dresses in «panung» and plows the Sanam Luang area with a sacred gilded plow. The plough is painted red and features sacred white bulls. Behind the plow are four beautiful girls who carry gold and silver baskets filled with rice. Brahmins march on either side of the plowman, singing and playing on sea shells.

When plowing is finished, seven different types of food and drink are served to the bulls: rice, beans, corn, hay, sesame seeds, water, and liqueur. It is believed that those foods and drinks that the bulls choose and eat will be in abundance over the next year. After the ceremony ends, the crowd rushes to collect the seeds, as there is a belief that these seeds bring good luck and wealth to their owners. Farmers sow the picked grains along with their seeds for a rich harvest.

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