CHILD BLESSING CEREMONY: A CASE STUDY AT THE BAN NIKOM PHAK CHAN IN JPR SUB-DISTRICT, KRA BURI DISTRICT, RANONG PROVINCE

Abstract

The objectives of this study were 1) to investigate the child blessing ceremony in Ban Nikom Phak Chan in JPR sub-district, and 2) to analyze the child blessing ceremony in Ban Nikom Phak Chan in JPR sub-district, Kra Buri district, Ranong province. The study targeted a specific group and used tools such as interviews and observations to collect data from October to December 2022. The data was analyzed based on the concepts of performance communication and role. The study found that

The community of Ban Nikom Phak Chan has a traditional belief in "blessings" and the practice of blessing children from birth to 12 years old to prevent illness. The ceremony involves social performers such as the ritualists, the patient (child), and the parents, and is rooted in the belief in supernatural power and the ritual itself serves to create emotional stability. The ceremony is a center for family and kinship bonding and promotes social cohesion based on love, attachment, and belief, serving as a social asset for emotional well-being.