Precious Traditions and Ways of Life |57
Rocket Festival
Sending fire for rain
Rain coming in accordance with its rainy season is like a gift fallen from the
sky to farmers. But if rain does not continue as anticipated, growing yields may fail.
The Rocket Festival is therefore considered as one of the merit-making ceremony
to worship the god for seeking rains, based on a belief of Isan people which still
remains until today.
Because their ways of life are very close to nature and dependent on rainwater
for crop cultivation, Isan people have a long-standing belief that the God who gave
water to humans is “Tan”, based on the legend of Phaya Kankak or the Giant Toad
who defeated Phaya Tan. Every time if the world needs water, a Bang Fai (rocket)
or firework must be sent up to the sky to signal Phaya Tan to send some rain
down. Therefore, when the farming season arrives, the Northeast people organize
the Rocket Merit-making Festival.
The Rocket Festival or the Sixth Lunar Month Festival is a great tradition for
the Isan people to practice. It has been passed through generations from the ancient
times and is set in the “Heet Sib Song - Klong Sib See” or the twelve-month
tradition and the 14 traditional virtues hold as the core of living by all levels of citizens,
from the King to ordinary people.
When entering the farming season and starting to cultivate rice, residents and
neighbouring villagers will make an appointment to create rockets. As the village
representatives, they cooperate in a rocket parade from their locality to the temple
in the village as the host. This tradition connects people in the community and
provides their opportunity to have fun together before entering the farming season
which will last for several months.
“The Rocket Tradition is one of
the rain-making ceremonies,
seeking heaven blessings for
rains, based on the belief
of the Northeast people who
make their living by agriculture
which requires abundance
of land and seasonal rainfall
for their cultivation. If anything
is mistaken, the yields
which are growing good
may become failures.”