Kathina

          Kathina is a Buddhist festival which comes at the end of  Vassa, the three-month rainy season retreat for Theravada Buddhists. The season during which a monastery may hold a “Kathina” festival is one month long, beginning after the full moon of the eleventh month in the Lunar calendar (usually October).
          It is a time of giving, for the laity to express gratitude to monks. Lay Buddhists bring donations to temples, especially new robes for the monks.
 

           
                   

           Kathina in Thailand there is also the transcription "Gathin" in use is the name for the robes of an ordained monk;  the ceremony of Kathina is called Thod Kathin. The Thai lunar calendar reckons the day after the 11th full moon as Waning 1, Evening, Moon 11 (Thai: แรม ๑ ค่ำ เดือน ๑๑ Raem 1 Kham Deuan 11 ). The presentation of Kathina by the King of Thailand or HM representative is called The Royal Kathin Ceremony and often has been an occasion for one of  Thailand’s Royal Barge Processions. 

          Kathina Festival is a traditional Buddhist festival celebrated by villagers in Northeast Thailand (E-Saan) and Laos. Colorful parades and offering ceremonies at the end of monks´ retreat at local temples. On Owk-Pansa day of the full moon, villagers and city dwellers will go to their local temple for prayers and paying respect to the sacred.

Where we go to  Thod Kathin?

        We could Thod Kathina at home, community and Wat. 

How to?

           The donors want to believe it has merit have to be prepared and proceed as follows.
          1. Provide  cloth, three garments of a Buddhist monk, Eight necessities of a Buddhist monk, offerings to a priest for Kathin and  Talipot fan. 

          2. Provide the family fun by conventional, such as splash mats, pillows, mortar pestle Siem spade striped rice cooker, steamer, bun, sugar cane, banana, papaya, string family.
          3. Provide three set of two-tier trays (Pan-Wan-Pha) with the cover robes.

                                            

          4. Date of merit. The day included a good day and offerings made to all the priests in a temple.
          5. Write or print the bookings Kathina form.
          6. On the day of the event. Host prepare Kathin sacrifice at her host's home or office and others as defined. Beautifully decorated. Two-tier trays  beautiful setting.
                   The term family refers to a family of 1, 2 and 3
        
          7. During the pile of fun from morning to evening, then may be donors. Relatives and colleagues who may be involved. Have merit. This could be money or goods such as salt, pepper, eggplant, mats, pillows, pillow Khit and other valuables is a lot of entertainment at night may have a celebration. As appropriate
         

                       

      

          8. Kathina offerings (day job)       

         

                8.1 The family procession. If a remote temple. The various districts. The country was reorganized into the family car. Close enough to measure the procession. The landscaped. Paraded around the fair hall 3 times. Bring the family or complement of Kathina on the fair hall.   Organized and orderly.
                8.2 Rope stretched around inside the hall.  Set the tray of the three garments of a Buddhist monk include the family's tri and tri's prayer.  They were set respectively in front of the second monk.  
                8.3 Bring cloth Agsa. The change to the principal. Arrangements incense, candles, silk, Bat,3 umbrellas, indoor shoes 3 pairs, Talpatr. If offer a long-handled ceremonial umbrella, the more it is very good.

          

                       

           

            

           9. Take the holy thread from Buddha statue of a set of altar table was tied to the family. The rope tied to the holy family around them.
         10. Hosted by the Tri Krong and Tri's prayer to the ceremony. Facing east. God's invitation to host the east. Then, facing south. MC to invite angels south. Facing west. MC to invite angels west. Then turning toward the try. Invite Friends to host Northern Angels.        
          11. MCs (Master of ceremonies) or host family to the present.

                                                           

 Refernce

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  (2011).  Kathina.  Retreived September 5, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathina.

Written by Nayika Derdkhuntod