Thailand's Ghost Face Festival: Wearing Big Masks to Welcome the Dead Together

There is a small town in northeastern Thailand called Yasothon. Every year in June or July, they hold a festival called "Phi Ta Khon," which translates to "Ghost Face Festival."

Its origin is a Buddhist story: before the Buddha was reborn, he was a prince named Vessantara. He did many good deeds and was driven out of the country, living in the forest for many years. Later, he returned to the city, and the whole city welcomed him with great joy. People, gods, ghosts, and animals all came, making it extremely lively, so lively that even the dead were awakened and mixed in, walking together.

So on the day of the festival, the villagers wear big, colorful masks. The masks are made from steamed glutinous rice baskets and coconut leaves, with big noses and glaring eyes. They wear clothes sewn together from scraps of cloth, holding wooden knives and bells, dancing as they walk down the street. Some of the wooden knives are carved into the shape of male genitals, said to be for praying for blessings.

The men also deliberately scare tourists on the road and splash water on people.

The festival generally lasts three days. The first day is the "ghost" parade, the second day is the rain-praying ritual, where everyone launches homemade rockets to pray for a year's worth of rain, and the third day is a Buddhist ritual, where villagers go to the temple to listen to scriptures and pray for blessings.

This festival is very famous in Thailand, and there are quite a few foreign tourists now, but the locals still take it seriously. The masks are replaced with new ones every year, and adults teach children how to make them.

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