The Red Thread

My students write one journal entry per week. Little do they know that I love reading their journals. Two weeks ago I gave my students the topic "objects." One of my Cambodian students wrote the following: "Buddhist people in Cambodia consider the red thread that is from the elder people, priests, monks or their parents is the holy thing. They believe that the red thread could protect them from evil spirits, disease or bad things that are about to occur to their lives. Also, it could give them good luck and bring success. Therefore, people often asked each to these people, monks, priests or parents giving sermon and tie for them around their wrists. Mostly, people often tie the thread in many different circumstances. For instance, when students are about to take their final exam, they often go to pagodas and ask monks the thread to reduce their fears and to bring good luck during the exam. Sometimes they could ask their parents to do for them because in Buddhism people consider their parents as Gods. Also, the Cambodia traditional wedding ceremony, a groom and a bride are tied the read thread by the elder relative or their parents for love and happiness. Furthermore, when a child who is just born, parents often ask grand-parents or holy people to tie the red thread on their wrists to prevent the evil spirits and disease. And, they keep doing this on the next birthday. In brief, it has become to a custom in Cambodia, and nobody knows how long it has been existed."
I've taken a course on Buddhism, visited museums with Buddha statues, traveled across China and saw several Buddhist temples, and still I had no idea what red thread signifies. Thanks to my student, now I know!