(Baonghean.vn) - For the Thai people, checking for auspicious and inauspicious times is indispensable in their spiritual and cultural life, especially when starting important tasks such as funerals, weddings, house building, groundbreaking ceremonies, and business openings.
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| Whenever people in and outside the village have important events such as funerals, weddings, house building, groundbreaking ceremonies, business openings, or journeys, they often go to Mr. Kha Van Tien, residing in Can village, Tam Thai commune (Tuong Duong district), to ask him to determine auspicious or inauspicious times so that the events will go smoothly. Those who know how to draw and determine auspicious times in the village are usually shamans or traditional healers. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Mr. Tien is drawing a chart to show auspicious and inauspicious times. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| The Thai people call this chart "Ta Nham Ha" (meaning 5 days, 5 time zones). The five vertical squares correspond to the five days from the 1st to the 5th, then on the 6th, they return to square number 1, and so on. The five vertical squares are divided into 5 time zones. The first zone from the bottom is "Xi Xum" (5-6 am); the second is "Lem Vay" (7-9 am); the third is "Na Dam" (10-12 pm); the fourth is "Xoong Hua Ma" (1-4 pm); and the last is "Ta Tooc" (5-7 pm). According to Mr. Tien, the Thai people believe that the "Lem Vay" and "Na Dam" time zones are two very bad and inauspicious time zones. For events like weddings, house building, groundbreaking ceremonies, and business openings, auspicious time slots are chosen, such as "xí xúm" and "xóóng húa ma." However, for funerals, the "tá toọc" time slot is chosen. (Photo: Đình Tuân) |
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| People hang charts indicating auspicious and inauspicious times in easily visible and memorable places, such as drawing them on house walls, sticking them on rafters, or using them as keychains… In the photo, people are attaching a chart to the rafters of their house. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Painting on the wall. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Making keychains allows people to check their time anytime, anywhere. Nowadays, many superstitious customs have been eliminated from the lives of the Thai people. The practice of telling time using the Ta Nham Ha chart is considered a unique cultural feature, a type of calendar specific to the Thai people, attracting the attention of many researchers. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
Dinh Tuan
