Once a year, the small town of Dan Sai in northeast Thailand fills with dancing spirits in tall, painted masks. Phi Ta Khon draws visitors from around the world. For the town itself, the festival is also the place where one generation teaches the next.
Researchers followed 35 people through the festival: elders, craftspeople, young people, organizers and visitors. They watched, asked questions and held group conversations. Their study appeared in Ethnography and Education.
They describe Phi Ta Khon as a living classroom. Making masks, taking part in rituals and telling stories pass on knowledge and values. Elders mentor the young, teaching both the craft and the spiritual meaning behind it.
The festival keeps local traditions alive and at the same time welcomes the world. Its role, the researchers find, goes well beyond a celebration: it preserves culture, teaches outside school and connects old and young.
The authors see Phi Ta Khon as an example of how community rituals keep people learning throughout life and give them a strong sense of who they are. Museums and heritage programs can learn from it, they write, and so can anyone who wants to build understanding between cultures.
Sources
Nopas, D., et al. (2025). Dancing with spirits: The Phi Ta Khon festival as a gateway to lifelong learning and cultural preservation. Ethnography and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2025.2565696