Admin Saovaluck
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Lao people usually play cards for days, when someone is born (Ngun Gum) and when someone dies (Hean Dee). They get bored, so playing cards is something to do to keep themselves occupied, and it has become part of Lao tradition. People still get some sleep, and those awake take turns playing cards.
In the old days when there was no electricity, people needed to stay for days to keep the fire burning so that mother and her newborn baby are kept warm, and keep the ghosts away from stealing the baby. That's how playing cards all day and night became part of the Lao tradition for "Ngun Gum".
And when someone dies, people need to look after the body 24/7 and keep the candles burning. In Lao culture, the deceased is kept inside the house for days until they are cremated. There's also a superstition that if a black cat jumps over the coffin, the spirit will wake up angry, so people looked after the coffin to prevent that from happening. And that's how playing cards to stop boredom became part of the Lao tradition for family and friends when they go to "Hean Dee".
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