The traditional New Year’s Day in Thailand is called The Songkran festival. It is celebrated on April 13 – 15. This goes along with the New Year of many calendars of Southeast Asia and in the South. This occasion is appropriate with the Hindu or Buddhist solar calendar.
Water pouring is a tradition and means as a symbol of washing away all the sins. It also has herbs when celebrated in the traditional way.
WHAT IS SONGKRAN?
Songkran festival is the New Year’s Day in Thailand. It is also one of the most important and awaited festivals in the country and the longest holiday in a year. As mentioned above April 13 until 15 are the days Thai people celebrate their New Year’s however if these days fall on weekends then automatically everyone will be happy because there will be two days off the work week.
People overseas are also participating in this event. The name Songkran is from the word Sanskrit or Sankranti. It means to move on or to change. This came from Burma, Vietnam and Laos. The Thais are the one who raised the bar in celebrating the event.
THE CELEBRATION
Before the start of the celebration, wives are busy in cleaning and washing their properties and also taking all the unneeded factors that could possibly provide them rotten luck for the remainder of the year. This is a custom which has actually been in practice for a long time and observed well. They secure their Buddha photos and meticulously clean it well to have a good luck.
One of the most awaited scenes of the party would certainly be the ‘water battle‘. As Songkran Celebration is commemorated throughout the most popular time of the year in Thailand, folks appear on the roads– equipped doing water weapons as well as pots of water to sign up with enjoyable and also pleasant wet fights. Also vacationers are welcomed to sign up with because eventually they’ll wind up soaked by the residents.
As discussed above, even though it can create loud noise and exhilarating, these water fights are important to them and actually from the belief that if the water is thrown on you, it purifies your body. Water really cleanses your body and your soul as well.
Songkran is also a time when people in Thailand donates alms to monks and visit Buddhist holy places such as temples. To pay tribute to the Buddhist divine beings. Sand castles are made in complexes and color flags are hung too. These are part of the tradition.
So if you are planning to visit Thailand on their New Year’s festival bring your family and friends with you to experience one of a kind celebration. But then again don’t forget that you should also mind that this occasion is really important to Thai people.
As Songkran Festival is coming people are invited to get a Thailand tour package and they can join the fun and festivities. Rest assured your visit will be safe and sound.
With Thailand’s location so near the equator, is it any wonder that the temperatures are rather warm year round? For residents, it is an enjoyable climate to be a part of, even with the rains that fall throughout the year. This warm climate and tourists combine to also give a lot of residents the chance to sell food and other goods on the street. When all combined it can, and has, lead to some major issues for street vendors who sell food, who often use Styrofoam coolers to keep their goods cold.
Pam Panyasiri opened Pam Real Thai in 2001 on West 49th Street, Manhattan, New York, and it has thrived ever since.