Por Tor Festival

During Por Tor festival, all Chinese people believe this festival is the day that spirituals are released for visit their home and relatives. At Bang Niew and fresh market (Baan Saan) are hold Por Tor festival up so this is a descendant festival generation by generation and it’s a hilarious festival. Por Tor festival can be a tourist attraction also.

Por Tor festival falls on the first day of the seventh lunar month by Chinese calendar with the purpose for offering food to ancestor and worship ghosts. Por Tor festival is occurred for long time ago so it cannot specify when did it occur for the first time in the past? But it happened with belief in the seventh lunar month by Chinese calendar before midnight of 30th the sixth lunar month, the ghost door will open for released spirituals to visit their home and relatives in human world after that the spirits will stay in human world for 1 month. Therefore, in that time when the sun is out of the horizon, people will stay only in their home for avoid bad luck that may be happened.

People will prepare altars for worship their ancestors. Generally they do in the afternoon of the first day of the seventh lunar month by Chinese calendar. Every house will prepare the offering food that consisted of fish, pork, fowl, vegetable, fruits and sweetmeats. They have to stick a joss stick on each of food on the altar. Then paying worship finished they will burn gold & silver paper that refer to disburse the traveled expenses to all of spirits.

Besides, by the Taoism belief and Mahayana Buddhism are held on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month by Chinese calendar is Sart Chin day after Chinese New Year day. Taoism believes this day is “Te Kuan Tai Te” birthday. He was a monk who looks out the human behavior. On this day Chinese people have to prepare food for worship the hungry ghosts. In part of Buddhism is also believed the Buddhist will offering food to Lord Buddha for released starvation of all dead spirits.

Don’t forget the red turtle (Ang Koo) for propitiate. Red Turtle sweet is made from wheat flour with sugar, form into turtle figure and dye in red color. The legend said Pra Tang Sam Jung (Chinese monk) invites the Tripitaka at Sri Lanka. While he sits on a junk, there is a strong wind and make his junk founder. After that he prays and then the huge turtle is appeared. It swims for guide his junk until reach Sri Lanka. Other belief is Chinese people are often think the turtle is a longevity. In any ceremony Chinese people like to use the turtle be apart of their ceremony. So they will longevity also.