Bones Ceremony

[justsignedin]

As is usually the case, I was packed off to Buriram for some ceremony, without really understanding what it's all about. In most cases, I return, and with the help of Google and a few questions of my wife I can figure it out, but not this time.

Before we left, my wife said it's a celebration of dead relatives, ancestors etc. The first day consisted of live music, traditional Thai dancing, then a few Muay Thai fights, all on hire, and I should think at some considerable expense.

The second day everybody gathered in the village, then while a live band played music from a wagon, everyone slowly danced, and drank to the temple. Some carried pictures of dead relatives, and I believe others carried the bones/ashes of dead relatives which were previously kept in the house. 

I'm trying to find a name for this ceremony, if anyone can help?

[JohnJay]

You may find this is more of a local tradition than something entwined with buddhism. Sounds like it to me anyway.

[howard ashoul]

When my wifes mother died she went to her cremation and bring back some bone wraped in plastic. Which didnt burned during cremation. Then we went to local river and throw it in. To send her on her way.

 

Also she told me, that her grandfather didn't love her too much, because when he had cremation, she couldn't find any bones next day... .

 

It were probably bones of their dead relatives, but I can't offer much more input into this.

 

EDIT: cant get used to call my GF my wife. 5 years together , 4 days married. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

I have heard about the " searching for bones amongst the ashes " on a previous thread although I've not seen it myself .

[cooked]

We have this kind of ceremony in the village around three times a year, an expensive affair and not everybody can afford it.

It happens one year after the original funeral and is a light hearted , any excuse for a party kind of affair. Tambun in Thai.

Generally, the more up country you get, the more ancient rites and customs are mixed into what the people here think of as Buddhism, they don't know any different. They don't care either!

[kickstart]

 

                 Just asked the misses she said,as I thought ,  Tamboon- Kob-Lob,   a merit-making ceremony   on the anniversary of the departed, never heard  of a name for this type of ceremony .

I have been to a few over the years, and I would say   most are  more custom  and tradition,  more than a religious  ceremony  but some would say they are some  religious meanings, whether  it is our local custom ,I do not know ,but it was the thing  to do  during the Songkran festival, taking the bone of the departed to the temple ,my misses will still make a dish  of food ,that her dad use to like ,a green  banana curry ,with eel, if she can get some eel's, more often  than not with  chicken, during the Songkran festival . 

I went  to one near me some years ago ,it was a  100 day Tamboon , evening  do, coming with the set 5-6 dishes  of food .and dancers on a stage,they were, I think 6 coming back on stage , wearing less than before , they got down to they underwear, I thought that's it .then they come on stage ,in they birthday suits , no one seemed to mind, not  much  of a religious meaning there.