Nan, the land abounding by nature, forest, canal, which the charming of Nan is not only the rich of nature but also culture, interesting tradition for us to search and touch all year long.
Phra That Beng Sakud’s religous ceremony 
Will be held on the 15th day of the 4th north waxing moon (around January) of every year. It is the traditions to make merit and offer the foods to monks, listen to sermon, chant prayer of Lord Buddha cerebration, and prayer for start to walk with lighted candles in hand around a temple. The sprinkle water onto a Buddha’s relics, and worshiping Buddha’s relics with flowers, joss sticks and candle of the local people is the only once a year for Buddhists
Kin Dokdum Dokdeang and Nom King Fah Tradition of Khamu Tradition of Kin Dokdum Dokdeang is the tradition of the new year for Khamu, descending from the ancestor, which will be held on the 4th month of every year. ( around Dcember to February) To eat the Dokdum Dokdeang must be on the good day only, which each house will have the different of good day. This tradition will be after the harvest of each village, each family, for living well and to keep the old tradition onward. This tradition will have Lao Au (alcohol bereage), chicken, steamed cassava or taro root, and Dokdum Dokdeang (red and black flower) as well. For the Song Khwae district, will be found at Ban Huai Kleab, Ban Num Pan, Ban Num Luh, Ban Huai Moi, and Bang Mai Chaydan, Chon Tan sub-district, Song Khwae district, Nan province.
Febuary-March
Hok-Peng Wai-sa Phra Maha That Chae Haeng The Hok-Peng (six peng) tradition or worshiping to Phra That Chae Haeng of Nan people, will be procession Pha Tip to dress the Phra That. The procession will start from the front of the temple, around the Pho court into the Phra That court then perform the ceremony. Pray to the Pha (cloth) then dress for the Phra That, which means done of the ceremony. As the mentioned day, Buddhists and tourists will come to make merit, worship to Phra That Chae Haeng crowdedly, especially Phra That Chae Haeng is the Phra That for the one who was born in the year of Rabbit, as the principle of Lanna people.
Ha-Peng Wai Phra That Wan Kiri The tradition to worship Phra That Wang Kiri was born with the creation of the Phra That on November of B.E. 2451 by Mr. Hoi-Sang-Mong Pun-Na-Yok. It is said that the tradition of local people of Num Pua sub-district inherited from the past. By assign to creat the annual ceremony to worship Phra That Wang Kiri on the 15th day of the 5th waxing moon (north) (Makhabucha day) at Ban Wang Muang, Mhoo.1, Num Pua sub-district, Wieng sa district, Nan province, every year. By the Num Pua sub-district’s faith group will create the procession called “Krua Tan Lanna” to offer to Buddha, make merit and offer foods to monks, sprinkle water onto a Buddha’s relics, walk with lighted candles in hand around a temple, light up the Thai sky rocket, Tan Tung, bring sands into the temple, local culture show, listen to the sermon of story of Gautama Buddha as Vessantara, which the ancient believed that the one who has been in Tan Tung and listen to the sermon, bring the sands into the temple that one will have a good life, progress, money as much as the grain of sand, and wash the karma that you step on the grain of sand out of the temple, and to offer to the Buddha as the luck for yourself and your family.
Phee Mai Muean Trandition ( Lui Fai, walk through the fire) From the past, Sun Charoen people is the Muean (yao) group of people emigrated from China, and settle down in Thailand more than 10 years ago. People in that area is growing the marihuana in the high hills as a main job, which called “Suan Ya Luang” (royal drug garden) or in Burmese as “ Tom In Te” which is the big area to grow the marihuana. Then the government does not allow to grow marihuana, those who has this job change to grow other vegetation instead. Then support and develop hill tribe center of Nan has supported people in the area of Ban Sun Charoen to grow Arabica and Catimor Catui Tipca coffee beans, as the area is cold all year long. The field for growing is about 2,000 rai, instead of growing marihuana in the Suan Ya Luang. After that it is the symbol of Suan Ya Luang coffee transformation community enterprise until present. The operation of this enterprise has been succeed in the last year round, there was a lot of products. As Nan has supported about the distribute of the product and to be transform for marketing area, nowadays the Suan Ya Luang Bang Sun Charoen’s coffee products are selling within and outside the province, along the roadside coffee shop. For the atmosphere in the cerebration is full of fun and harmony, treats with the local tribes’ foods which hard to be found only available in the special occasion such as Gang Wai (rattan soup), Tom Noh (bamboo shoot boiled), Chicken Tun Samunprai (chicken steamed with herbs), Pork Hor Bai Café (pork wrapped with coffee leaf).
Moreover, there will be the tribes’ performances such as the music performace of Muean tribe, Muean’s New Year tray dance, blow the leaf, sing Muean’s songs, or Joi blessing for new year, as well as the performance of song for life, video about Muean legend in Thailand, and Ban Sun Charoen Muean legend, by the 25th hill tribe development center of Nan, which is the institute who work closely to the tribes and to end the old year and welcome the new year.ย
Pho Dok Chomphoo Phoo Kaban (see the pink flower at Kaban Mountain) The Pho Dok Chomphoo Phoo Kaban tradition created for the tourists to touch the Thai Lue culture together with seeing the Pink flower at Kaban Mountain. In the tradition there will be so many activities such as Thai Lue cultural performance, light and sound performance, local product selling at the Pua District Office, Nan.
April
Worshiping and Pour Water to Phra Chao Thong Tip Tradition
It is a tradition to cerebrate and sprinkle water onto a Phra Chao Thong Tip’s image which is located in the temple of Wat Suan Tan, in the Songkarn period 12 -14 April of each year. By invited the Buddha image to parade around the city for people to sprinkle water onto a Buddha image for luck of himself in the Thai New Year. Inside in the Wat, there will be the activity to change one's bad fortune through a ceremony, fortune telling, and Nang Songkarn parade competition, also entertainments through the event.
Phee Mai Mueang tradition ( Songkarn)
Nan has a tradition of Phee Mai Mueang in the Lanna style, but it is strange that the same city, home, but has the different of making a merit as the description as follows:
- 13 April is “Wan Long” in the past this day is to house support and develop together, cleaning the house, temple and prepare for the items for make merits.
- 14 April is “Wan Nao” preparing foods, snacks to make merit for the deceased, and bring sand into the temple.
- 15 April is “ Wan Phaya Wan” there will be pouring water to the monk, teacher, and elder people for pay respect. It is regarded as the best day. In the afternoon will make a merit to ancestors, but for the people in municipal area of Nan or the Mueang district people will bring the sands into the temple today.
- 16 April is “Wan Pak Pee”, the day to start a new era. People will light up the sky rocket to offer for Phra Chao Thong Tip, Wat Suan Tan and to other important places. The faith group of each village will gathering together at Wat Suan Tan, to parade the Nang Sonkarn, fire tube and perfume to pour to the Phra Chao Thong Tip at Wat Suan Tan.
- 17 April is “Wan Phee Mai” or New Year Day, the day that everyone gathered together to bring flowers and perfumes to pay respect to respectful elder people around the village, sub-district and each relatives will be eating the foods closely to each others.
May
Worshiping to Phra Chao Khao Noi Tradition Nan people believes in the Phra That Khao Noi, which as the legend believes that this Phra That Khao Noi built by the second queen of Phaya Phoo Keng, king of Nan, around 20th Buddhist era, and have a major reconstruction in the period of Phra Chao Suriya Phong Palidech in B.E. 2449-2454 by the Burmese architecture artist named Mong Ying.
It will be held on Wan Peng of 14th and 15th day of the 8th north waxing moon, which normally will be the Visakha Bucha day to recall the good thing of the Lord Buddha. In the Visakha Bucha tradition, there will be many important activities such as presence oneself to be Buddhist, sermons, making merit and offering foods to monks, offering the heaven cloth to the Buddha’s relics to wear, pour the water to Phra That, light waving rite, and the parade of Klua Tan, light up the Tok sky rocket to offer to the Buddha.
July-Aug
Tak Bard Tien Tradition ( offering candle to monks) This tradition, Tak Bard Tien, is an important event that the clergy and faith people of Wieng Sa district has inherited for a long time, which could not know the time. Presume that could be the B.E. 2344 after Chao Fah Attaworn Punto has built the Wat Boon Yuen for a year ( Wat Boon Yuen built in B.E. 2343)
In the past when it was no electricity, monks and novices in Wieng Sa, has sepecified the 2nd day of 8th waning moon( or 10th north month) or 1 day after the Buddhist lent’s day, there will be a forgiving event for the district monk dean and the elder monks. The Buddhist will regarded this day to bring the candle and flowers to offer to the monks and novices, for light up for study the disciplines at night. Then it spread all over Wieng Sa district, as Wat Boon Yuen is the temple of district monk dean, and elder monks have been living in this temple since past. All monks and novices in the district have come for asking for forgiveness (Sumakarawa) from the monk dean, elder monks in this temple, so that the tradition has been continued the Sai Bard Tien on 2nd day of 8th north waning moon of each year until present. This tradition regarded as the only one in Thailand which is be with the Wiang Sa people for ages, as the tradition that both monks and householder offering the candle together. Somewhere else only found the householder will be the one who offering the candle, so that it should be keep to be with Wieng Sa people onward.
September
Nan Silverware Expo
It is an expo to support the production and distribute the Nan silverware as well as to publicize the outstanding Nan silverware, and to support the tourism of Nan and conserve the local wisdom to create the Nan silverware, as the idea of Her Royal Highness Princes Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, as the Nan silverware development project.
Scarab Beetle contest
The tradition “ World of Scarab Beetlle, the fighter of mountains” or in English as “Hercules’s Beetle” is the famous event of Pua district, in the September or October which is in the paring season of “Kwang” or Scarab Beetle. The point of view of local people believes that “Scarab Beetle Fight” is normal in the paring season. So that to use Kwang to fight against each others never too much like wound or death.
The Scarab fight stage will be a wood, make a hole in the middle and put “Ai Moh” or “Ai Lhoom”, the female scarab which has no horn as a lure, then release two male scarab to snatched to show the masculinity on the wood. In between the fight, the owner will turn the “Mai Pad Kwang” which make a loud sound to encourage his Kwang.
The value of skilled scarab will be up to 500 – 1,000 baht. Beside the scarab fight, there will be the innovation contest such as Mai Pad Kwang, many catagories of scarab contest such as Kwang Song, the big body and horn, Kwang Seam, the medium body and horn, special scarab who has 3-5 horns.
Long Kang Num Wah ( “ton klang” or medium) “Num Wah Ton Klang” is the middle of the Num Wah canel which around 80 km. distance. The beginning point will be at Sob Mang to Huai Lom village, in the area of SAO. Phoo Fah. The area around is complicated islets and small whirlpools for all the canal, passing through mountains, rock wall, plentiful forest. Both of the sides is full of greenness of deciduous forest and mixed forest as the canal is wide and deep, high water level, the water flow will be fast and strong. When passing through the rocks, made waves and the strong whirlpool, some islet will be a rocks to separate the water flow into many lines, which make the water flow even stronger. Some islet is a 1 meter water fall level, rock under the water also a whirlpool could suck down the boat. When sum up the “North of Num Wah” and “Medium of Num Wah” together, it will be the best canal for rafting of Thailand with the distrance of 100 km. Exciting and stimulating with paddle the rubber boat through the angry islets all 2 day 1 night. Encounter with rock islet from level 1 to 5 as the universal standard with the touch of nature of both sides, small waterfalls which flow down along the crags, many kind of trees and excited with the strange rock, impress with the atmosphere and camping at Num Wah riverside.
October-November
Tan Kuai Salak, Hea Kua Tan, or Klua Tan, Tan Salak, or Kuai Slak, or Klua tan
The old tradition from the Buddha’s lifetime. For the north people it is the tradition to make a merit in the middle of the mouse which is great and important as a identity of local. Monk will received the invitation to come and received the offering by draw lots, by if nearby the Nan river, there will be a boat contest, but if no river, there will be Klua Tan contest instead.น
The Nan draw lots have 3 types as:
- Salak Sroi, the lots stub which almost have everything.
- Salak Choke, special lots which full of objects as well as requisite.
- Salak Noit, the lots which prepared with foods like fish, wrapped foods, eatable stuff and betel palm, food wrapped in leaves, betel leaf vine, curcuma, lemon grass.
Remark : Salak is a line or leaf that the owner of chapter will write down their names and donate to the deceased, collect up as how many as the amount of monks, novices divided equally. There will not be reservation of anyone so that it called “Salak” or risk-taking for the receiver.
Tradition of boat competition which inherited from B.E. 2479, has take place in the harmonized ceremony of presenting yellow to the Buddhist monks at the end of the Buddhist Lent until the king’s confer ceremony of presenting yellow to the Buddhist monks at the end of the Buddhist Lent in present. The competition boat will built from the big log, dig to be a boat. The identity of Nan’s boat competition is the head of the boat will be an image of King of Nagas, beautifully conceited. The tail will be the high tail of King of Nagas. As people believed that the ancestor of them is Chao Khun Noon, Khun Fhong, was born from King of Nagas’ egg as the indentity of the plentiful. The assemble of boat as the King of Nagas is to worship to the King of Nagas, the king of water and ancestor of Nan people. The categories of the competition have either big, medium, small boat as well as the beautiful type, at the Nan river (the foot of the North Develop bridge)
Tak Bat Devo and Chak Phra Festivals The tradition is to make a merit by offering the foods to monks in the end of Buddhist lent day, which believed that the Lord Buddha came down from the second heaven where Indra dwells, after gave a sermon to Phra Nang Siri Maha Maya, his mother, for requite her kindness. In the Buddhist lent period of 3 months, when end of the Buddhist lent, the Lord Buddha came back to the world by the Sung Kussa City’s door, it is the came down from the place of worship (Deva Rohana) in the 1st day of 11th waning moon. People are conjoined to welcome and bring foods to offering to the monks crowdedly.
By will be held every year after the end of Buddhist lent at Wat Siri Mongkol, Ta Wang Pah district, Nan province. The tradition Tak Bat Devo is the tradition to harmonize to Ta Wang Pah people, it is to control the society to reduce, stop all vices and turn to the temple to make merit. So that it is help the society to be in peace, there will be monks from temples in the Ta Wang Pah district to come and receive foods byy the monks will walk down the stairs from the mountain in front, follow by a person hodling the Buddha image, closing with angels and hungry ghost, there will be normal people line up and waiting to offer the foods below.
Long Rue Fai Tradition (Fire ship tradition) Tradition of fire ship, of Na Noi district, has been inherited for a long time since B.E. 2480 by Na Noi people, believed in the tradition that it is to recall the kindness of the Gonga, the mother of all rivers. It burn the sad, worry, and suffer by fire. This tradition of northeast is called “ Loi Rue Fai” or “Lai Rue Fai” or “Ploi Hue Fai”, but Na Noi district will called as Long Rua Fai. It is on the 15th day of 2nd waxing moon or people called as Ye Peng or Loy Krathong in present. Fire boat in the past is an easy ship which could be floating, the decoration will use flowers, joss stick, candle, lamp to light up the fire. Before release the ship into the river, as the evidence found within the same believe bases such as the believe to burn the sad, suffer ( Phao Lua Phra Chao) will be in the temple’s area, believe of asking for forgiving, and recall the kindness of Gonga.
In present, it will be many types of ship, by using of the technology for assemble and create and decorating with electric light beautifully all over the river. Na Noi district has set up the event greatly, continuing for 7 years to maintain the good art, tradition, local wisdom and culture of local to be inherit to new generations. As well as to publicize and support the tourism, and create harmony, so that they cooperated and integration with government service, state enterprise, Na Noi people in any group and tribes, to held the Long Rue Fai tradition.
December
Festival of Good items of Nan and Nan’s Red cross Golden orange, is the famous agricultural product of Nan, it is the same breed with tangerine, but the golden orange will have its peel will be beautiful golden yellow, and the sweet and yummy taste. As the effects of the climate which is the temperature between day and night is different by 8 degrees, so that the “Carotenoid Pigment” in the orange’s peel will change from green to be the mentioned golden. The interesting event is Golden orange transportation contest, trade fair, handmade product from districts sale, and form Hon Hong Sa city of Laos, the cultural and entertainment performaces.
Mong’s New Year tradition
It is the new year cerebration of Mong which is the festival of Mong annually, will take place after the harvesting of the product for year round, and to cerebrating the success of the cultivate of each year, which must do the ceremony to worship to Shy Ghost, Forest Ghost, and House Ghost to protect and take care of the happiness all year long, as well as the product in the year. Each village will cerebrate all together or as the day and time that convenience for each village. Mostly will be in the December. This tradition, Mong’s people will called as “Nor Pe Jow” which means “ Kin Sam Sib” or eat thirty, as the Mong’s people will use the lunar system by count from the 1st to 30th day ( the lunar system will separated into 15 days of waxing and waning moon) when due the 30th day so that it is one month count. Then the last day (30th day) of the last month (12th month) of the year will be the new year eve. The new year cerebration period mostly will be on November until January, on that day the head of each family will hold a religious ceremony for family’s luck. After the new year eve for 3 days is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd day of the 1 month, will be the formal new year cerebration, that everyone will stop working in the mentioned day and will be amusements in new year ceremony such as Look Chuang, Tee Look Kang, and sing Mong’s songs.
