Phuket Thailand Sart Festival

Sart Festival

The Thai Sart Day refers to merit-making activities in the middle of the traditional Thai year, and if counted by the lunar calendar, falls on the fifteenth day of the waning moon of the tenth lunar month (usually some time during September)

The word Sart is derived from the Indian language, Pall, and means season, while in English it means autumn. In fact, the season of Sart or the autumn is the time at which food crops begin to ripen. However, autumn takes place only in countries that are situated above the tropical zone, such as the countries in Northern Europe, China and the northern part of India. In India this is the time for the harvesting of grains and fruit and thus a time to be glad. Originally, this was a Brahministic festival but now it is celebrated in the Buddhist wat, i.e., the main activity involves the making of merit to monks.

Thus, due to Thailand's geographical location in the tropics, the Thai Sart Day has no connection with the autumn or the ripening season at all. At this time of the year our rice has not yet ripened and only some fruits are mature enough to be eaten. Meanwhile, the countries, which have the season of autumn, will take this time to joyfully celebrate the occasion as their crops bear their first yield and a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables are in bountiful supply.

Thai Buddhists see death as a part of the cycle of life and there is a unity between life and death. The Thai people believe that it's due to their ancestors that they are who they are today. Therefore the Thais pay their ancestors special respect on the day of the .Sart Thai festival.

The Sart Thai festival was originally a Brahministic festival but now it is celebrated in the Thai temples and Buddhist wats with the Thai monks making the merit ceremony.

Some local communities in Thailand, such as the city of Nakhon Nayok, celebrate Sart Thai with annual longboat or long tailed boat races and other festivities such as entertainment fairs, Thai dance, food fairs and lots of Thai music.

The farmers usually plant a special type of glutinous rice which can be reaped at this time to make "flat rice" of "khow mow", a main ingredient in the preparation of "Krayasart", a type of dessert very similar to granola bar with peanuts. A specialty during the Sart Thai festival is Krayasart which is a sweet dessert, prepared from rice, peanuts, sesame seeds and sugar or honey. All those ingredients are boiled into a sticky paste and then wrapped in banana leaf. Every family in Thailand used to prepare their own Krayasart in the past, but now krayasart is available in most Thai markets and supermarkets.

Usually, on this day, Thai people offer Krayasart to the monks in the temple and also offer the sweet to their relatives, friends, and neighbors as a sign of respect. There are also other types of sweet made from rice. All these special delicacies for the festival are to be offered first to monks for merit-making and then enjoyed by the people.