In Thailand many ceremonies that mark life's passages, like birth, marriage, and death, are held in the home. For Northern Thais, especially the Lanna people, the Seub Jata is a ceremony celebrated at home to generate good fortune and ensure well-being. Seub Jata means extending life, lengthening a happy existence, and the ritual can be performed after a person endures hardship, sickness, or other adversity; or during Thai New Year rites, in April; or at a house-warming ceremony; or at a birthday celebration; or when one achieves an appointment to an important position; or when one receives a poor horoscope reading and wishes to avert ...