Lao people believe that a human being is a union of thirty-two organs, each has a spirit or khuan (Lao word for spirit) to protect them. These spirits often wander outside the body causing unbalance of the soul which might lead to an illness or bad luck. The tying of the white string represents tying of the 32 spirits to the body putting them back in harmony as well as bringing good luck and prosperity.
The baci ceremony is held for happy occasions like weddings, welcoming guests, Lao New Year, house warmings, home comings and other such occasions. A mother and her new born baby are given a baci, after the mother has recovered, to welcome the baby as well as to call back the spirits of the mother’s that might be wandering away through the child baring.
Basically we would need:
A parent to bless us and open the ceremony
Scarfes for the bridal party and parents
A Pha Khuan
Lots and lots of white cotton threads/wrist bands
A dish full of candy, money, food and fruit
4 candles
A handful of rice
Then after the parent has opened the ceremony, by inviting wishes of happiness, wealth, health and love, they then put some friut, money and the candles in one of each of our hands and brush our other hands with the white threads repeating "Good luck swept in, bad luck swept out" and then asks "will any roaming spirits from this couple please now return to them" while tying a piece of cotton around our each of our wrists (signifying tying the spirits to our bodies), then everyone at the wedding is invited up to tie the little cotton bands to our wrists and the wrists of the bridal party and parents, and then to each other while saying wishes to each person they tie one to of happiness, wealth, health and love.
I will write out exactly what happens sometime today :)
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