I had the opportunity to go to an event called Luna Blessing and Khantok Dinner at Mae Fah Luang University. This event occurred during Fresher Week, which is a welcoming event for fresher (freshmen) into the school. I wish Madison had something like this during my freshman year. It would help me connect with people and have some friends. Anyway, the event opened my eye to the Luna culture through prayers, dances, and presentations. Before the events started, the MFU choir sang some song. I wish I was able to understand because the songs sound very interesting especially the way they sang it. After the singing, the MCs came out and told us about the event. Fortunately, there was an MC that translated everything into English, so I had a general idea of what was going on. The first thing that occurred was a special dance that invited the good spirt into the arena. The first part was a dance around this amazing piece. Then, a group of dancers started to dance with brooms to call on the spirits. Following them, there were a group of men carrying some type of object. They set the object on stage and a monk/priest came up to pray for the ceremony, MFU, and MFU freshers. After the prayer, the elders came and sat at the front. A few students went to the elders and received a string on their wrist. The string represents the blessings they received from the elders.
Once that was over, they perform different dances. Two of my Thai friends performed some of the dances. They looked very beautiful and gracefully as they were doing these dances. I also love the traditional outfits and hairstyles they had. It was very elegant and beautiful. One thing that struck my mind was their traditional outfit was like a tube top that shows their shoulders. However, Thais are conservative in their dressing, so they frown upon women that would expose their shoulder. It was interesting to see that the traditional outfits didn’t follow that code. My favorite dance from the event was the candle dance, where the dancers had to dance with flaming candles on their hands. It looks a little dangerous, but at the same time, it was elegant and gracefully.
I’m glad I was able to attend this event because I have always wanted to see a traditional Thai dance and ceremony. This event is something I won’t get to encounter again, so I glad for the opportunity.
Photos of Luna Blessing and Khantok Dinner
