The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-01-27
lODD THINGS in SIAM
CURIOUS CUSTOMS AND CEREMONIES
THAT ARE STILL OBSERVED.

TOT AiA opifitHAA heltare - tne
wedding and It's Ccicbration-Czss
nation with Refreshments.
In Siam the cutting of the topknot is
20 important ceremony for the future
spiritual welfare of the child that it is
most scrupulously carried out. with all
the pomp and ceremony that the means
of the parents will allow. That the
poor people may not be deprived OF the
benefit of the ceremony the government
xproyides all that is necessary for It at
lone of the temples at Bangkok. The
cenler Of the ceremony Is the cutting
of Of the topllnOt, which is all the hair
children are permitted to wear up TO
that time. But associated with it are
number Of publications and other rell.
glous forms which have to be scrupu.
lousy carried out. The topknot, which
is ordinarily adorned with a chaplet of
flowers or beads. often held in place
with a jeweled pin Of considerable val
ne, is now much more resplendently
|, ,hdorned. while the child is further load
Nd with the richest jewels the family
can provide. After the ceremony the
hair Is allowed to grow all over the
head and is usually worn about an inch
long standing up like a brush. The
child Is now reckoned TO have reached
mans estate, although, TO their credit
\ be 1t said, the Siamese are in no hurry
to marry their children. In fact, undue
haste to make a match for daughter
is apt to raise a question as TO whether
things are so flourishing with the fam.
lily as they might be.
Whom marriage is thought of, It is Of
ten the result OF mutual affection and
takes the form Of an elopement. with
subsequent forgiveness by the old folk
The more formal way calls for lot of
negotiation and the payment TO the
parents Of "ka nom." which is often,
however, returned to the daughter on
the birth of her first child. The monks,
who are the astrologers Of the country
among other accomplishments, are
called upon TO fix the lucky day, on the
kArriyal of which the bridegroom and
! his friends 20 TO the brides house, car
rying presents of cakes and betel. All
Slamese chew betel, and not to offer 1t
to a guest is serious breach of hOspi-
tality. The qulds when ready for chew
ing consist Of leaves of the betel pep
per. chips Of areca nut-there Is no
such thing as bctel nut that careless
travellers write about-a little saked
lime and sometimes tobacco also. The
Slamese word for this mixture Is ap-
propriately "muk." This will always
-. a.. 4 "a IA
preparation and presentation of the be-
tel tray 20 the bridegroom constitute
one of the forms of acceptance by the
bride of his authority over her. The
1monks will be already in attendance.
feaste1 with the best that can be pro-
vided, and the ceremony of marriage Is
performed by them with the sprinkling
of consecrated water over the couple.
But the greatest ceremony of all
takes place after death. If the person
be of high rank, the body is placed in a
sitting posture in a large metal urn or
among the commoners in an ordinary
coffin. After being kept a period that
lengthens with the eXaltatiOn Of rank
day is fixed for the cremation. All
the friends of the family are invited,
and enormous sums are spent on enter
tanning them and providing free shows
for the general public The guests will
enter the inclosure, while Chinese thea
ters, Siamese marionettes and plays
will be provided for all who care to
witness them. On entering one would
be met by some member Of the de-
ceased's family bearing a black bag,
into which all are invited in turn to dip
hand. Ii is found TO contain a num-
i Der of tiny balls, each OF which Is hol-
low and contains a screw Of paper. y
Siamese figure ON 1t refers TO a similar
figure on some article in one OF the
booths in the Enclosure, and the guests
are expected to present the number to
the attendants and receive as present
whatever II represents.
There may be dinner. but anyway
refreshments will be provided I'm abun.
dance. Just at sunset the pyre will be
lighted. A stick of scented wood or a
wreath of flowers made Of the per-
fumed sandnlwood, as well as candle
OF unbleached wax. is handed to each
guest. and lamps are lighted at the foot
or the steps or the pyre Just as Win
4 us those at the graveslde perform the
last office for the dead in dropping a
little earth into the grave, so in Siam
each one lights his candle at n lamp
and places it under the urn or coffin, to-
gether with the scented stick or wreath.
Buddhist monks away In one Of the
booths will be reciting sacred texts
meanwhile. but nothing I'm the way Of
prayer. whether for the iead or the
living, enters into the ceremony.
Fireworks Will be let Off, including a
very mournful one known to the ma
tiyes as the roaring of elephants" 1t
is made by shaving thick bamboo
very thin at one point and then making
a slit The inside is filed with compO-
sition and sealed, and this. when fred,
exerts great pressure on the slit, max
ing the edges yibrate continuously, so