Sen Đôn Ta ceremony of the Khmer people
Also called: Sen Dolta, Sene Dolta, Sen Đôn-ta, Sene Đôn Ta, Lễ cúng ông bà, Banh Sen Đôn-ta, Ph'chum-banh, Lễ Sen Đôn Ta của người Khmer
- Rites of ethnic communities
Culture and belief A record of custom.
By the custom of the Khmer people of the South, this is an offering to grandparents: inviting the grandparents home, taking them to the Theravada pagoda to hear monks chant sutras for the dead, and then seeing them off. Domestic news sources describe the ritual, and do not record the prayer text.
At a glance
- When it is held
- The last three days of the eighth lunar month and the beginning of the ninth lunar month; in the past the festival season lasted half a month
- For whom
- Souls of grandparents, parents, and deceased relatives
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
South
Mekong Delta, Khmer, Khmer Theravada Buddhism
- When
- The last three days of the eighth lunar month and the beginning of the ninth lunar month (in 2024, the 29th and 30th of the eighth month and the 1st of the ninth month); by old custom the festival season lasts half a month
- Where the offerings are set
- At home (the ancestors' altar) and at the Theravada Buddhist pagoda of the phum sóc
- Who makes the offering
- The whole family; monks chant sutras for the dead
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tea, rice wine, water | ||
| A tray of rice, cakes and fruit, wine, tea | Vegetarian | Dishes the deceased liked when alive |
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | ||
| Cơm vắt (Bay ben) and cone-shaped cơm vắt like a leaf hat (Bay bat-bor) | Vegetarian | Required. Indispensable on the main day of the ceremony |
| Incense, lamps, candles | ||
| Incense, lamps | ||
| Votive paper | ||
| A boat made of banana sheaths with effigies of two rowers, holding travel money, cakes and fruit, drinking water, paper clothes | Vegetarian | Used in the ceremony to see the grandparents off |
Mekong Delta, Khmer, Sóc Trăng, Khmer Theravada Buddhism, At the pagoda, temple or temple of literature (paired with a prayer said at home)
- When
- The Kanh-banh, Ph'chum-banh festival season from the 16th of the eighth lunar month to the 1st of the ninth lunar month; cơm vắt is placed while it is still dark, every night
- Where the offerings are set
- The main hall of a Khmer Theravada pagoda (described at Mahatup Pagoda, Sóc Trăng city)
- Who makes the offering
- Buddhists in the phum sóc; the monks chant sutras and pray for the dead
| Offering | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Xôi (steamed sticky rice) and cakes | ||
| Sticky rice pressed into round balls | Vegetarian | Required |
| Incense, lamps, candles | ||
| Cakes and fruit, incense, candles | Vegetarian | |
| Other | ||
| A crocodile flag stuck in the middle of the tray | According to one Buddhist, it is for decoration | |
Steps of the rite
Mekong Delta, Khmer, Khmer Theravada Buddhism
- Before the ceremony: clean the house, decorate the ancestors' altar; the pagoda is also repaired and tidied
- First day (welcoming offering): the whole family lights incense and lamps, prays to invite the souls of grandparents and the deceased to come eat with their descendants, then invites the grandparents to go to the pagoda to hear monks chant sutras for the dead and preach
- Second day (main offering): at noon bring food to the pagoda; monks chant sutras for the dead for the souls of the grandparents of every household in the phum sóc; people eat, drink, and enjoy themselves at the pagoda
- Third day (farewell offering): each household prepares a tray of rice, invites a few monks and relatives to come chant sutras for the dead, and sees the grandparents off
- Set the banana-sheath boat adrift on rivers, canals, ponds and lakes around the house to send the grandparents away
Mekong Delta, Khmer, Sóc Trăng, Khmer Theravada Buddhism, At the pagoda, temple or temple of literature (paired with a prayer said at home)
- In the early evening, cook sticky rice, press it into cơm vắt, arrange the offering tray or platter
- Bring plates and trays of cơm vắt up to the main hall to perform the Bós-bai-banh ceremony (placing cơm vắt), listen to the monks chant sutras and pray for the dead
- Three main days: the day of welcoming the ancestors, the day of keeping the ancestors (on the 30th of the eighth month, performing the Ph'chum-banh ceremony at the pagoda, before that lighting incense at the altar to invite the grandparents to go to the pagoda together), and the day of the farewell offering
Where the sources differ
- Sources differ on the names and number of rituals of the old festival season: Nhân Dân newspaper recounts four rituals, namely placing cơm vắt (Banh canh banh), offering to grandparents (Banh Sen Đôn-ta), the spirit gathering (Banh phchum banh), and seeing the grandparents off (Banh chuônh Đôn-ta) over half a month; Báo ảnh Dân tộc và Miền núi recounts placing cơm vắt (Bos Bai Ben), offering to grandparents, welcoming the grandparents (Phchum Ben), and seeing the grandparents off (chun Đôn Ta) over 16 days
Communities and regions
More about Sen Đôn Ta ceremony of the Khmer people
Sources
- Đồng bào Khmer Nam Bộ hân hoan đón lễ Sen Đôn-ta (nhandan.vn)
- Độc đáo lễ Sen Đôn Ta của đồng bào Khmer Nam Bộ (dantocmiennui.baotintuc.vn, Báo ảnh Dân tộc và Miền núi, TTXVN)
- Lễ Sene Đôn Ta về Trà Vinh vui cùng phum sóc (baovanhoa.vn)
- Lễ Sene Đôn Ta của đồng bào Khmer: Hướng về tổ tiên (baosoctrang.org.vn)
Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.
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