Randomness

Held only in Mahachanachai District, Yasothon Province, this festival attracts an eclectic crowd from all over the country. It happens either in February or March. Rice garlands are displayed for a week both in the field and on the street in front of the District office.

To learn how the garlands are made, you can read my article on Marvel of Fine Art.

On the evening of the first day, villagers dressed in matching Isan cultural outfits perform a dance. Though its mostly women, there are children and gents too. It is fascinating to watch them all dance to the same tune. The moves are well choreographed. As you might know in Isan dances, they use their hands a lot. This usually marks the beginning of a fun-filled week. At night, dancers and singers own the stage.

Besides the festival activities, there is a play section where children and teenagers enjoy different games. To top it all is a market street which buzzes with activities in the evening.  Here one can buy anything. That can be food, clothing, toys and accessories. It is like walking in a shopping mall with no air conditioning. There are also some stalls to buy souvenirs. Most of them are usually made from bamboo.

The assembled garlands are from different groups and communities within the district. Starting as early as ten o’clock in the morning to around ten o’clock in the evening, one can walk around admiring the garlands and taking photos. Due to the hot weather, it is more favorable to visit in the evening. As I watched families pose to take pictures in front of different garlands, I could tell that it is a practice that they relish.

On the final day of the festival, the winning garlands are announced. The competition is usually based on different aspects like size, nature of decorations and brightness. It was interesting to learn that there are usually two winning garlands. This is because they get one from a round-made and another from the clustered type. The winning groups play loud music and make merry in celebration.

Lastly, is the parade to take the garlands to Wat Ho Kong Temple. The ceremony begins in the afternoon at around two o’clock. After the opening speech, the processions begin. The winning garlands are usually the first in their respective orders. They are offered as an offering to Buddha. Community members all line up to accompany their garlands. It is showstopping.

This year I was in the procession escorting my school’s garland. Being the third time, I might as well be an Isaan lady (chuckles). Dressed in a yellow pha thung (Thai traditional clothing) we slowly made our way to the temple. It is a kilometer-long walk. Luckily we had umbrellas to shield us from the blazing sun. On the temple grounds, there are lots of performances with the three winning garlands on display outside the temple.

Being the only festival of its kind in the world, you can always be certain of beautiful garlands and dazzling Miss garland pageants.