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“Kin” means to eat; “Pang” means ceremony, the person attending the ceremony; “Then” refers to the gods in Mường Trời. Kin Pang Then is a festival to celebrate adopted children of the White Thai people. The ceremony is organized by Then workers to meet adopted children to give thanks and celebrate Then's fate. The ritual takes place in early spring (from before the full moon in January to before the full moon in March every year), and is held once every 3 years. Mr. Then himself chose a specific day for his adopted children to know and attend. The day of the Kin Pang Then ceremony must be before the full moon day of the first lunar month. The pang tree is the center of ceremonies and is elaborately decorated. The Then altar and offering tray include many items. On the evening of the first day, Master Then prepared the pan cai offering tray to worship Then, including sticky rice, paddy, betel and areca, wine, eggs, steamed sticky rice, salt, white cloth, cotton thread, silver bracelet, incense, lamp, money, water, flowers, etc. Master Then wears traditional costumes to worship at the Then altar. Báo Khỏa plays the piano, Sao Chay assists him and shakes the bell. After performing the purification and blessing ceremony, Mr. Then asked the patriarch for permission to perform the ceremony. Master Then went to Then village to invite Then to come down and play, celebrate the adopted children's ceremony, and bless the adopted children with good health, prosperous business, and good harvests. After offering offerings to Then, Master Then, Sao Chay, Báo Khỏa, and their adopted children became monks. The next morning, the Then family slaughtered chickens, and pigs, and prepared sticky rice for the offering ceremony. One offering tray is placed at the ancestral worship place (clọ hóng) and one offering tray is placed at the Then altar (hỉnh một). In case Then's parents are still alive, they must ask Then's father to make offerings to their ancestors at the Clọ hóng pavilion. After worshiping the ancestors, Master Then made offerings to each adopted child. The adopted child's offerings include chicken, wine, sticky rice, Chung cake, and 1 piece of white cloth, arranged on separate trays. During the worshiping ceremony, Mr. Then worshiped while resting, drinking wine, drinking water, smoking, and singing back and forth with Báo Khỏa and Sao Chay. After offering offerings to the adopted children, Master Then and Sao Chay performed folk games and had fun with the adopted children.
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