Heed Sip Song

Tai Neua also has Heed Sip Song. One thing we can refer to is  sometimes elders will metion it 'Heed Sip Song Khong Sip Si'.  However there are not lots of Tai Neua people know what it is.

In fact, Heed Sip Song is kind of a list of yearly activity based on the ethnic calendar which is each family has to follow or perform through the year. There are 12 events as follow: 

1. In the first month, Leuan Tieng, we feed the spirits. The spirits are the ghosts of our ancestors, who take care of the water, land, sky, and forest. The Pras are invited to chant in areas where bad spirits are suspected to reside.

2. In the second month, Leuan Gni, we invite the Pras to bless the rice. In this month, people have finished harvesting their crops. Before we eat the rice, we give thanks or have a ceremony.

3. In Deuan Sam Peng, when there is a crescent moon, we celebrate the festivals Khao Chee and Ma Ka Buxa (the Roasted Rice Festival and the Festival of the Flowers).

4. In Leuan Si, we place flowers before Buddha’s statue in our homes and in the Wat. We also go to the Wat every evening during this month to listen to the Pras chant.

5. In Leuan Har, we invite the Pras to bless the cloth one day before the New Year arrives. When the sun rises the next morning we bring rice, water, and food to the Wat to give to the Pras and to the people who have morals and neither lie nor abuse. When the food has been blessed we give it to the Buddha’s spirit, to our parents, and to our husbands. We take the statues down from the Wat for people to wash. We plant grass in front of our homes and invite the Pras over to chant for seven days and seven nights. Then we feed the Pras. After feeding the Pras, we build four small spirit houses at the four corners of our yard and then put long cloths around them. We then invite monks to chant for the spirit houses. Then we use the holy cloth to surround our home for seven days and seven nights. On the seventh day, we put seven bowls full of water and invite the Pras to bless them. Then we sprinkle the holy water around the house. Also during Deuan Ha, we write five magic words on paper or on pieces of thin copper and hang them on the front door for seven days and seven nights to keep evil spirits away from our homes. The magic words are: Anu, Vevanavava, Pana, Ma-A-Au-Na-Mo, Puthagna. During the seven days and nights that the magic words hang on the doors, people are not allowed to enter or leave the house. No one inside can go out, and no one outside can come in.

6. In Leuan Hoc, we celebrate the Visakha Bouxa, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha, and Boun Bang Fay, the Fire Festival. During the full moon, we bring the cleaned statues back to the Wat and place flowers before them.

7. In Leuan Tiet, we feed the Theravada (the angels), four of whom take care of the four corners of the world and eight of whom take care of eight sides of the world.

8. In Leuan Pet, when there is a full moon, we invite the Pras to stay in the Wat at Khao Watsa (the beginning of rainy season). This occurs in the eighth Laotian month (the full moon of July). The Pras have to stay in their own Wat from July until October, or until Ok Watsa. We tell our friends to bring big homemade wax candles, food, and flowers to give to the Pras. We also go to the Wat to Fung Tham (listen to the Pras chant).

9. The ninth month coincides with the period from late August to early September. During the ninth month, Deuan Kao, we celebrate Ho Khao Padap Dinh, the Feast of the Dead. On the morning of this holiday we bring a jar of water, rice, and rice cakes to the Wat and we let the Pras bless them. We feed the Pras and the spirits of our ancestors. We put the rice and the rice cakes on the grass. Then we call the spirits to eat them. While we are calling the spirits, we drop some water on the ground so the spirits can have some water to drink.

10. In Leuan Sip Peng, the tenth month (September-October), we celebrate Ho Khao Slak. We bring fruit, rice, and rice cakes to the Wat to be blessed by the Pras. We celebrate this festival the same way as we celebrate Ho Khao Padap Dinh.

11. In Leuan Sip Et we invite the Pras to stay for Ok Watsa (the end of rainy season). Boun Ok Watsa occurs in the eleventh month (October). We feed the Pras rice, fruits and food. We also give them yellow or white robes to wear on the next Khao Watsa. We also ask them to stay for the next Khao Watsa.

12. Right after Ok Watsa until Leuan Sip Song Pang, we celebrate Boun Khan Thinh (the Money Trees Celebration). We cut a branch or some bamboo, and on it we hang money, books, pens, pencils, packs of cigarettes and other things on the tree. We then give the money tree to the Pras, so the monks will have materials for writing and money to spend on fixing the Wat. We also celebrate the national religious holiday this month. This festival is called Boun Pra Thad Luang.

Today people cannot perform as many of these rituals as they used to because they don't know what it is as well as they are not interested in Heed Sip Song. On top of that, some think this is out of date!

However different places practice Heed Sip Song different way. Sometimes the activity is also different from above mentioned. Do you know any Tai Neua Heed Sip Song? Could you share with others?