Early on the morning of Thursday, January 11, 2024, the Arts and Culture Conservation Working Group, along with lecturers and staff from the School of Education and Liberal Arts, set up a food booth offering chicken rice porridge with soft-boiled eggs and rice with omelet. This was done to provide breakfast for the monks and distribute alms to participants in the fire-giving tradition organized by the Center for Cultural and Sports Promotion, Walailak University, at Dharma Square, next to the Cho Pradu Food Center within the university.

The Fire Offering Ceremony is a tradition held by temples from December to February. During this colder period in Nakhon Si Thammarat, locals gather to prepare hot food, such as rice soup, grilled pork, fried fish cakes, Khanom Krok, Khanom Kho, Khanom Bueang, Khanom Thang Taek, Salapao, and other items, to offer to monks at the temple. Participants may cook these foods themselves or purchase them from others, with all proceeds donated to the temple.

The ceremony involves building a bonfire within the temple grounds. Originally, the bonfire was intended to provide warmth for monks sitting around it while villagers brought food to offer, as well as light for the participants. Some temples may also have monks chant around the bonfire or lead villagers in walking clockwise around it.

This is the third year that the Walailak University Fire Offering Ceremony has been held, with many organizations from both within and outside the university participating in the event. This year, the Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts contributed a total donation of 1,045 baht. We would like to share the merit with everyone on this occasion.