3 Main events in the life of Penanan: Birth, Wedding and Death

On Phuket Island, you will get acquainted with the Penter Community. In addition to Thais, marine gypsies live here, southerners and Thais of Chinese origin, as well as descendants from the mixed marriages of Chinese immigrants with Malay and Indonesian girls. They are called Baba Nurse or Penanan. This unique nationality has its own language, culture, customs and kitchen. Penanan on Phuket and in the south of Thailand very different from Thais even on rituals during the main events in life.

Birth

The main event in the life of every peranacha is a birthday. According to Phuket traditions, the appearance of a child in the family could certainly need to tell all neighbors. When the newborn was performed month, the family arranged a big holiday. Toddler for the first time Stream and dressed in beautiful clothes. The family spent ritual "MO NGO". Invited guests were preparing a plate with traditional food: rice cupcake "ang-ku" In the form of a turtle, a sticky rice with dried shrimps and a boiled egg, painted in red. Instead of treats, guests had to put a dry noodle on a plate and a bag of money. So the baby and his parents received a blessing.

Girl in perachnacan clothes and wedding crown

Throughout the life of Penacan, only 1 month and 61 year celebrate. For a holiday, you must prepare the rice vermicelli suoa, denoting durability, cooked twisting eggs – a symbol of fertility and many generations, dessert from rice balls in syrup to celebrate the sweetness of life.

Wedding

For all traditions, the Peraanac Wedding lasted from a week to 12 days. During this time, various rituals were carried out. The day of the sharing of gifts between the parents of two families was carried out before the start of the wedding ceremony. The parents of the groom brought clothes, decorations, shoes, money supplied for a girl and redemption for the bride at the mother – "maternal milk fee", Fruits, sweets and pork legs like a symbol of virginity. The father and mother of the bride should have prepared clothes for the bride and candles for rituals. On the second day, both families gathered in the house of future newlyweds for the preparation of a bedroom of young and other rituals. An important tradition was combing hair bride, symbolizing the transition from childhood to adulthood. The ceremony of the preparation of the bride, accompanied by prayers and the blessing of the parents, was very long.

Couple in Wedding Clothes Penacan

Now Peranacans are laid at a much smaller period, and the whole wedding is more simple. On Phuket every year, a large celebration of Baba Wedding, in which several couples participate. You can only see part of the wedding, the event itself is non-unrest. For two days there are only the most important ceremonies. On the wedding it is customary to wear better clothes and decorations in the style of Baba-Nyanya. The girl dress in a white blouse Cabeay, a colorful skirt Sarong and a long lace cape with a long sleeve, embroidered with gold and silver threads. As a rule, the color of the cape red, yellow or green and contrasts with other suites. Separate article – This is decorations: a long and short necklace and an intricate crown of gold and silver colors. The bride’s hair is collected in a bundle on the top of the top, and they are attached to the crown. After the cooking ceremony, the girl waiting for the groom. It should be noted that men with festive clothes are lucky: no complicated rituals. The groom goes into a suit with a collar-rack, combining Chinese and European styles, and some can wear a conventional suit of light tones.

Wedding Crown Peranakan

During the Peranakan wedding, the traditional procession through the streets of the city is held on Phuket, and the celebration itself is arranged in one of the old mansions. For parents, they organize a tea ceremony, gift exchange, worship rituals before ancestors and seniors. There are always a lot of guests at Phuket Weddings: from 200 to a thousand people. So the best gift is money in envelope. It is personally given to newlyweds, parents or fold in a special box for cash gifts. What amount put in the envelope, you choose depending on the discretion of the celebration: 200, 500 or 1000 baht. At all Thai weddings, it is customary to give guests souvenirs with a holiday symbolism: Fan, opening, keychain. I have already gathered a collection of similar presents with the engraved names of the young and date.

Funeral

Death – the third important event in the life of Penacan. This is not a sad event, but a celebration. The death of Thais and Phukets do not belong as in the European world. No tears and sadness, although native it should be crying, invited people can chat and even laugh. Rich Peranacan families used to hired Prafsters who sobbed over the coffin. The farewell ceremony lasts an odd number of days: three, five, seven. The higher the status of the family, the longer. For well-known and revered people, goodbye to the month are arranged, and sometimes up to the year to hold the funeral in favorable dates according to the Chinese Astronomical Calendar and Geomantia. Depending on the number of people who came to the funeral, one can judge the status of the deceased. Sometimes a few hundred people are going to. By tradition in condolences, guests give relatives of the deceased envelopes with money.

Mourning clothes Penanan

On the funeral Penakan put on white or black clothes. Golden clashes Kebai and decorations are replaced with silver and pearls, which is associated with drops of tears. Women in honor of Mourning dismiss hair. Sons and daughters of the deceased should not wash and derive hair, and also they can not eat rice to funeral. Late dressed in white. If the deceased over 80 years, it is dressed in red as a symbol of joy – life was long. In the coffin put paper money, which will come in handy in the world, favorite things of deceased and clothing. In the mouth, the pearls put the pearls, it is believed that the pearl will light his way in the afterlife.

Mourning clothes Penanan

On the entrance to the house hang the plate with the name of the deceased and put the gong. All mirrors are closed with a white cloth, and a home altar with deities – red. The windows are sealed with white ribbons Cross. Guests who came to the funeral are treated with rice porridge and desserts of ang-ku, similar to the turtles, which on the occasion of mourning prepare black, and not red. Mourning at Penakan up to three years. In the first year wearing black clothes, then the color changes on blue, green and, ravelly, on light yellow, orange or pink on blue and green background.

It is possible to get acquainted with the traditions and culture of Peranakans on Phuket in Peranakan Museum, which I will prepare a separate article. There are many shops in Phuket-Town, where they sell clothes and accessories Baba-Nyanya. Pleasant rest!