394:" (destiny). In the heavenly garden, each individual has a tree with branches cuddling to the soul of his or her life partner. Eventually such pre-destined intertwined trees move to earth as human beings with their wrists tied together by a cotton thread. In the process of their coming to the earth, the cotton thread binding them is severed by "wind of scissors" and they are born on earth as separate individuals. Once born on the earth, they search for their soul mates and when they find them they marry, and by performing the Baci ceremony they are rejoined by tying the symbolic cotton thread. If the cotton thread so tied remains intact for three days then the marriage is considered fortunate and lucky for the couple.
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wrist of the person to be blessed and other guests. Before the thread is tied, the hand is held chest high as a mark of respect. The white thread is symbolic of "peace, harmony, good fortune, good health and human warmth and community". The thread is worn by an individual normally for a minimum of three days and is released thereafter (thread is not to be cut). Recommended practice is to allow the thread to fall off on its own. In recent times, the thread in yellow, red and black colors are also used representing particular occasion; red symbolizing bravery, yellow representing faith and black sharing a person's loss or grief.
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During the Baci ceremony, a white (symbolizes purity) thread of silk or cotton is tied on the right hand wrist of the individual who is being wished for his well-being and good luck and also around the wrists of all guests who assemble to wish a person. The thread is first knotted before tying on the
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used to celebrate important events and occasions, like births and marriages and also entering the monkhood, departing, returning, beginning a new year, and welcoming or bidding etc. The ritual of the baci involves tying strings around a person's wrist to preserve good luck, and has become a national
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An ancient belief in Laos that the human being is a union of 32 organs and that the kwan watch over and protect each one of them. It is of the utmost consequence that as many kwan as possible are kept together in the body at any one time. Since all kwan is often the attributed cause of an illness,
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The ceremony of Baci is held on any day throughout the year as it is meant to commemorate specific events in an individual's life. It is usually held before noon. The events could be anything related to the human soul â such as a marriage, a success in any endeavour, an annual festival, birth of a
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There is also a legend that links the cotton thread's significance to a successful and happy married life. In Laos, where a traditional way of life is of trust on beliefs and superstitions, a marriage ceremony has a special link to an ancient legend and to the thread tying ceremony of the Baci
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is elaborately prepared on a silver tray on which a cone or horn made of banana leaves is placed at the centre and is decked with flowers and white cotton and silk threads tied to a bamboo stalk as flags. The decoration with flowers is of different flower types with specific connotation of
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countries, particularly in Laos. This practice is linked to the ancient belief that Baci is invoked religiously to synchronise the effects of 32 organs of the human body considered as
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The younger generation of people assembled for the occasion first pay obeisance to the elders present in the ceremony. Thereafter, every one in the assembly touches the trays of
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the baci ceremony calls the kwan or souls from wherever they may be roaming, back to the body, secures them in place, and thus re-establishes equilibrium.
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At the conclusion of the ceremony, a feast of food is offered to all guests, with bowls of rice wine. This is followed by revelry of
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child, recovery from sickness, seeking cure for any type of ill health and even to honour visitors and guests of importance.
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347:(souls) from wherever they are back to the body to ensure equilibrium. It is said to be a fusion of the traditions of
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or the flower trays and placing at a central location for people to gather around it in reverential prayers. The
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at some stage, and special arrangements are made for the occasion. The practice involves preparing the
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Decorating silver tray with flowers, banana leaves, bamboo poles with white cotton threads for worship
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celebration. According to their legend, marriages are predetermined in heaven by what is termed as
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The observance of Baci as a spiritual ceremonial event was prevalent in Laos even before
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is normally prepared by the elderly ladies of the household or the community. The
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Laos. Volume 15 of
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The ceremony is performed by a senior person of the community who has been a
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Milton
Edgeworth Osborne; Arthur J. Dommen; et al. (10 July 2019).
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Pom Outama
Khampradith; Bounheng Inversin; Tiao Nithakhong Somsanith.
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holding thread while participating in a Baci ceremony in Laos in 2015.
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made inroads into the country. It is also a common heritage in
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reverentially as a mark of respect, amidst recitation of
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557:"Marriage and the Baci Ceremony"
110:Any day of the week, before noon
530:"Daily life and social customs"
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46:is integral to Baci ceremony
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21:Baci (disambiguation)
19:For other uses, see
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563:on 9 September 2016
476:on 5 September 2010
470:"The Baci Ceremony"
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362:dance and music.
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187:Lao culture
99:Observances
76:Satsana Phi
52:Also called
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398:References
375:Jill Biden
204:Baci is a
66:Lao people
567:11 August
541:11 August
513:11 August
480:11 August
390:or "Love
303:dok sampi
130:Baci/Basi
44:phu khwan
353:Buddhist
341:mor phon
325:pah kwan
299:dok huck
294:paw kwan
286:pah kwan
242:Ceremony
222:Buddhism
212:custom.
197:and Lao
195:Northern
183:su khwan
181:, RTGS:
175:; Thai:
56:su khwan
360:Laotian
339:by the
333:Laotian
290:pa kwan
216:History
178:āļŠāļđāđāļāļ§āļąāļ
172:āšŠāšđāŧāšāš§āšąāš
166:su kwan
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209:ritual
169:(Lao:
163:) and
159:bai si
147:āļāļēāļĒāļĻāļĢāļĩ
392:Karma
349:Hindu
345:kwans
235:QUANT
569:2019
543:2019
515:2019
482:2019
434:ISBN
388:nene
351:and
335:and
318:Laos
267:kwan
256:Laos
230:kwan
199:Isan
193:and
152:RTGS
143:Thai
139:āšāšēāšŠāšĩ
107:Date
72:Type
42:The
31:Baci
207:phi
135:Lao
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