It has been a custom for Buddhists to make merit by offering candles to monks before Lent begins. In the old days, candle light was necessary when night falls. Today, even though there is electricity, it is still a tradition to present monk with candles prior to the Lent period as it is a belief that making merit by offering candles will reward one with good eyesight and light in life. In Phuket, on the first day of the Buddhist Lent, there are street processions of school children with beautifully carved candles that will finally be sent to various temples on the island.
It is also a tradition for Thai men who have reached the age of twenty to enter the monkhood and study the Buddha’s teaching for the whole period of Lent. Therefore, there are usually more monks in temples during this period and it is time for people to make merit. Many people wake up early in the morning to offer alms to the passing monks in front of their houses. Others bring food to the temples for monks to eat at noon.