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When you first walk into something you’ve never tried before your instincts can vary. You might feel odd, or out-of-place. That day was a very interesting day for me. For the first time I celebrated Baci. This morning we took a van to a hill tribe village to visit to children and pay it forward. We played games together, sang songs and passed out books provided by a kind business Big Brother Mouse, “books that make literacy fun”. Exploring the school was nothing like walking in the halls of a USA school. Compared to our schools back at home, this one school was small. They recently have a new classroom, on top of the other two classrooms. There grades range from second to fifth.

As a thank you for helping, the teachers and volunteers help a Baci ceremony in our honor. It was that moment when I stepped in the room, that I thought, how different. Not it a bad way. An unusual way that I couldn’t describe, because everything was new. We had token our shoes of and entered the dark room with several elder men and women – who were the elders of the village – were sitting around a matted area. On top of the pretty mats lay a tall layered pha kwan, festooned with an abundance of flowers and a white candle that stuck out on the top. On the bottom layer, were rice and a freshly cooked chicken surrounded by bananas and chips. One of the men handed us a plate and they all began to say a blessing in Lao. The man lit the candle and handed out sticky rice for us to eat. It symbolized as good fortune for the days to come. Then the man took a plastic jug of whiskey and dipped his hand in it. He raised his hand and dropped little droplets on the bananas mumbling something in Lao. He kept on doing this until he stopped to pass out parts of the chicken. I was amazed and utterly confused. It was fun being able to watch so closely to how things were done in a Baci. The “good fortune” whiskey was being passed around. The man poured us a little bit and handed it to my mom. She was hesitant but everyone in the room was saying “drink!”

She drank it with a funny expression on her face. She nodded and handed the cup back to the man. I was next. It wasn’t something I was looking forward to. I never had whiskey before and I knew that it would taste completely different than what I’m used to. He held up to cup for me to take, which I unwillingly did. Everyone was looking at me smiling and urging me to chug it down. I pursed my lips together shook my head. People started to laugh, so I went along. The man made a cup out of his hands and mimicked drinking out of his fake cup. He nodded vigorously and laughed. I was feeling tentative about this, but I braced myself and pressed the cup on my lips just barely letting the liquid though my mouth. Yuck! I thought to myself. I made a sour face and immediately handed the cup back shaking off the bitter taste. Thankfully I didn’t swallow anything. I just let the drink cover the outer part of my mouth. There was more laughing from the women. The eating continued and more food was placed on our plate. I ate most of it but shared the chicken in the end. Then, I was handed another small glass of whiskey. Ugh, not again! I mumbled to myself trying to hold back disrespect. I sure wasn’t looking forward to it. I took the cup and glanced at my dad. “It’s for good luck,” he nodded. So, this time I actually drank jus the smallest sip. It sailed through my body and burned my chest so badly I felt nauseous and light headed. Not that I was drunk, but I tasted horrible and gross. But that was over and I was happy that they didn’t ask for me to drink more.

Then the wrapping of good luck began.

The room filled with the mumbling of Lao prayers being said as they wrapped white strings that sent good luck on our wrists. All the hill tribe people began to tap on my arm and tie white string onto my wrist saying Lao blessing. Some people crowded me, and patted my wrist when they were done. I don’t know why, but somehow I found it amusing seeing my family and our guides being bunched up by people muttering words I had no idea what they meant. After the ceremony was done I had at least fifteen on each wrist. Hopefully, that meant lots of luck would come my way. We stood and “cop-jai” was being said around the room, meaning “thank you.” Then it was lunch.

Walking down the streets with the pook kwan wrapped on our wrist people stared at our writs and smiled up at us in surprise. “Oh! Baci!” They would exclaim. Now that we know how much people recognize this, it’s such a blessing for this to happen to you. Something that happens only once.

 

Soon after, I looked up the real meaning being Baci. I learned that Baci, isn’t just celebrated for visitors, but for after a birth of a women, or for monks before they began their journey to temples, or a marriage. Usually these ceremonies took place before noon or just before dusk. Another term for this ritual is su kwan.

Kwan are parts of the soul, that mean “vital breath.” The person carrying out the ceremony is called mohkwan or maw pawn. They are also the ones chanting and saying the prayers. The meaning of this was “calling of the soul (su kwan).”