The Royal Ploughing Ceremony marks the most significant ritual of the year as Thailand enters the new agricultural season. The highlights of today's ceremony include the ceremonial ploughing and rice seed sowing by the Lord of the Harvest, followed by the “Seven Offerings”, a traditional divination ritual by the Royal Oxen.

      The seven types of food and drink offered to the Royal Oxen consist of unhusked rice, corn, mung beans, sesame seeds, liquor, water, and grass. The predictions for the upcoming year depend on what the oxen choose to eat sush as

   Rice or Corn - an abundant harvest of grains and fruits.

   Mung Beans or Sesame Seeds - a plentiful of fruits and various food sources.

   Water or Grass - rainfall will be adequate, and there will be an abundance of grain, fruit, food, and meat.

   Liquor - Suggests improvements in transportation and international trade, leading to a flourishing economy.

Written, translated, and illustrated by: Ratchanok T.