The Songkran Festival is the traditional Thai new year, celebrated between April 13 and 15 every year, coinciding with new year celebrations in most other Asian countries. Originally set by astrological calculations, the celebration date is now fixed. The Songkran Festival is well-known for its water-throwing. People carry water vessels of different types and drench passersby. This wasn't the main activity during the ancient Songkran festivals, which were mostly about visiting elders and paying respects to them and joining the masses at religious worshiping sites.
Cleaning Buddha images, visiting monasteries, praying, offering alms and many more activities go on during the Songkran festival. Many Buddha statues from different temples are paraded along the streets on elaborately decorated floats, so people can join in for the ritual 'bathing' by pouring water on the statues from the street sides. The water used is usually mixed with Thai fragrance and herbs. In Northern Thailand, the practice also includes replacing the sand people have carried out of their neighboring monastery throughout the year. This is done by carrying handfuls of sand from outside into the monastery and creating small stupas out of this sand and decorating them with colorful flags.
The main objective of the Songkran festival is to cleanse and renew the body, mind and spirit. Many houses are cleaned thoroughly and people take herbed baths and make new year's resolutions etc. The water-throwing practice began as a way to pay respects, mostly by just pouring a handful of clean water on the hands or over the shoulder of a person. This practice evolved into a complete dousing with the bearing heat in Thailand during the festival period. April is the hottest month in the country.
The traditional Songkran Festival is mostly observed by the older generation, as the younger generation concentrates more on the fun aspects of the festival, rather than the religious and spiritual side.
Visiting Thailand during the Songkran festival can give you an insight into a traditional aspect many rarely get to experience. Remember to reserve your Bangkok hotel accommodation in advance, as you might not get a good choice when you visit during such a big event, which is also a public holiday period. It's ideal if you can book a Bangkok Sukumvit hotel, because you'll get to see a lot more of the festivities in the Sukumvit region.
Cleaning Buddha images, visiting monasteries, praying, offering alms and many more activities go on during the Songkran festival. Many Buddha statues from different temples are paraded along the streets on elaborately decorated floats, so people can join in for the ritual 'bathing' by pouring water on the statues from the street sides. The water used is usually mixed with Thai fragrance and herbs. In Northern Thailand, the practice also includes replacing the sand people have carried out of their neighboring monastery throughout the year. This is done by carrying handfuls of sand from outside into the monastery and creating small stupas out of this sand and decorating them with colorful flags.
The main objective of the Songkran festival is to cleanse and renew the body, mind and spirit. Many houses are cleaned thoroughly and people take herbed baths and make new year's resolutions etc. The water-throwing practice began as a way to pay respects, mostly by just pouring a handful of clean water on the hands or over the shoulder of a person. This practice evolved into a complete dousing with the bearing heat in Thailand during the festival period. April is the hottest month in the country.
The traditional Songkran Festival is mostly observed by the older generation, as the younger generation concentrates more on the fun aspects of the festival, rather than the religious and spiritual side.
Visiting Thailand during the Songkran festival can give you an insight into a traditional aspect many rarely get to experience. Remember to reserve your Bangkok hotel accommodation in advance, as you might not get a good choice when you visit during such a big event, which is also a public holiday period. It's ideal if you can book a Bangkok Sukumvit hotel, because you'll get to see a lot more of the festivities in the Sukumvit region.
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