or “Receiving the
Lotus” throws much
light on the traditional
Thai village social
values of generosity
mixed with religion,
done in a typically Thai light-hearted
manner.
On the night of the thirteenth day
of the waxing moon of the eleventh
lunar month (October) or the night
before the end of the Buddhist
Rain Retreat, Bang Phli residents
would start the Rap Bua Festival.
They would pick lotus flowers for
sharing with visitors from other
villages who will arrive for the
festivities the next morning, as well
as preparing food for them. The
night’s preparatory activities are done