History of Thai Sart Day 2025: The Significance of the Tenth Month Merit-Making Tradition

Thai Sart Day 2025 falls on Monday, 22 September 2025 GMT+7. It is a significant tradition for Thai people, practiced continuously for many years and typically held between September and October annually. It also serves as a family reunion day where relatives gather to make merit and dedicate merit to their deceased ancestors. This article explores its historical background.

Understanding "Thai Sart Day": What is this day about?

Thai Sart Day is the mid-year merit-making day for Thai people, occurring on the waning moon of the 15th night or sometimes the 10th night. It is often called the Tenth Month Sart Day or the Tenth Month Merit-Making Tradition. Each region has its own name for it, as follows:

• Central region: Thai Sart Day
• Southern region: Tenth Month Merit Ceremony, Preta Chasing Tradition
• Northeastern region: Khao Sak Merit-Making Ceremony
• Northern region: Ton Khuay Salak Ceremony

Thai Sart Day originated from Indian beliefs. After being adopted into local traditions, it became linked to agricultural society and ancestral worship. It is believed that making merit for deceased ancestors and revered spirits helps bring peace and happiness to families, timely rainfall, abundant crops, and satisfactory harvests. Conversely, failing to respect ancestors and sacred entities is thought to bring adverse consequences.

What is the origin of Thai Sart Day 2025?

According to evidence from the "Twelve-Month Royal Ceremony" book, a royal composition by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), the Sart tradition dates back to the Sukhothai period. The reason it is believed to be influenced by Indian and Brahmin customs is that the Sart period, held in the tenth month, coincides with a time when rice is not yet ripe in Thailand, so it is not the local harvest season. Therefore, traditional Sart sweets could not be made using fresh produce.

Because of this, Thai people adapted by using old rice mixed with beans and sesame seeds to make Sart sweets, which were offered to sacred spirits, deities, and protective ghosts. Later, as Buddhism became prevalent, merit-making with monks became popular to dedicate merit to ancestors and deceased who had become "preta" (hungry ghosts), allowing them to receive merit during the Sart merit-making day, which in the South is called Preta Chasing Merit Day. On this day, offerings of food, fruits, and traditional sweets like Khanom Pong and Khanom La are made to ensure that deceased relatives receive merit during the festival.

What concepts does the significance of Thai Sart Day reflect?

• It expresses gratitude to deceased ancestors, believing that during the Tenth Month Sart, relatives who have passed on but must atone for their karma will return to receive merit from family.
• It shows respect to benefactors, symbolizing the bond between deceased ancestors and their living descendants.
• It demonstrates generosity, as during Thai Sart Day, people customarily give traditional sweets like Khanom Krayasart or local delicacies to one another.
• It conveys respect for nature, Mae Phosop (the rice goddess), spirits, and deities (according to local beliefs) who protect and ensure good agricultural yields.
• It embodies sacrifice through merit-making and almsgiving, encouraging non-attachment and supporting Buddhism, thus preserving Thai traditions.

Regarding activities on Thai Sart Day 2025, Thai people customarily visit temples to make merit and pour water to dedicate merit to deceased ancestors by bringingrice, fish, and food,as well as fruits and traditional sweets to offer during almsgiving at the temple. The specific Sart ceremonies may vary by region.

Source:  www.m-culture.go.th