Vientiane Stories and Tips  Baci Ceremony in Laos  Baci
Ceremony, Vientiane  We were invited to take part in our own
Baci Ceremony while we were in Vientiane. Prior to our own
ceremony I knew nothing about what happened or why they had the
ceremonies.  In Laos a Baci ceremony is carried out for both sad
and happy events so it might be for a marriage, a birth of a
child, a funeral/death, a welcome home, before or after major
exams and before a long journey could all be reasons for a Baci
ceremony.  There is no specific day or time for a Baci ceremony
but just before noon or sunset appears to be a preferred time.
The idea of the ceremony is a calling of the soul or in Laos "su
kwan" also spelt ‘sou khuan’ .  The idea of kwan is the soul of
a person but more than that; vital life force of any being. In
Laos it was believed in ancient times that humans consisted of
thirty two parts and these were watched over by kwan. The human
works best when all his kwan are in the body and the idea of the
Baci ceremony is to c