A Burmese monk novitation ceremony for migrants who will join the ‘sangha’ for two weeks in Mae Ka Sa village on the Thailand-Burma border. The festival is a time of celebration for families – having children or family members join the sangha for even a short period of time accrues Buddhist merit not only for the individual but also for families, particularly mothers and fathers. For the monks-to-be, however, having a thick black mop of hair shaved off for the first time can leave them feeling naked and as such, more than a little uneasy about their new short term identity.