Silver is a precious metal with long-term value. The Thai people in the northwest of Vietnam attach great importance to decorations and silver products. Therefore, silver is used by local Thai people as decorations and gifts in major events such as weddings, funerals and other pious rituals. However, the Thai people in the northwest rarely use silver as a trading medium for commodities, but mainly use it as decorations, gifts and dowries. Thai people also wear silver bracelets and silver necklaces to "avoid wind" and "prevent diseases".
Cong Wenhai, a wizard from Mang Village, Huala Township, Son La City, Son La Province, said: "Silver is valuable and precious. At that time, society also used silver as a trading medium for commodities, but not everyone had silver. Nowadays, although people do not often use silver as a trading medium, because it has been a valuable item for a long time, every household wants to keep silver at home as a thing to protect health and safety. For example, when a child catches a cold, fever or stroke, according to folk experience, people often wrap a silver coin and a few hairs in cooked egg whites for scraping."
According to the Thai concept, when a young man marries a wife, in addition to being responsible for the wedding wine of the woman's family, the groom or even the man's family must bring silver coins to propose to the bride and as a gift to his father-in-law and mother-in-law. Therefore, in the past, the young man's family who could bring a lot of silver to propose and give to his father-in-law and mother-in-law was considered a well-off family or a wealthy family. The silver gift at the wedding is very sacred, and the bride or her parents will carry it with them and bury it underground after death. Not only do they value and use silver coins when they are alive, but they are also inseparable from silver coins when they die and perform related rituals according to ethnic customs.
According to traditional customs, when a Thai young man marries a wife, the man's family must prepare a silver bun and perform the hair ceremony for the bride. In addition, the man's family must prepare a pair of silver bracelets and rings, and those with better conditions will prepare a silver necklace. Silver coins are indispensable for giving to the father-in-law and mother-in-law. Different places have different regulations on the number of silver coins, some are 5 pieces, some are 3 pieces, and families with poor economic conditions must prepare a few silver coins. Silver is also used as an ornament for black Thai women, such as the hair bun used in wedding ceremonies; silver buttons on close-fitting tops, as well as bracelets, rings, necklaces, etc. More worth mentioning is the shiny silver waist chain on the waist of Thai girls, which is more prominent when paired with skirts during festivals.
As society develops, gold, gemstones and other ornaments on the market are becoming more and more abundant, but for Northwest Thai compatriots, silver still maintains its original value and is indispensable in their lives.