what is Songkran festival?
Songkran is a festival marking the beginning of Thai New Year and is all about making a fresh start with a splash!
From the 13th to the 15th of April, Thailand celebrates its New Year with the world’s wettest festival, Songkran. Here’s everything you need to know about the annual national holiday…
Songkran is the most important event in the Thai calendar. The occasion is both spiritual and fun; celebrated with paying respect to Buddha in temples to street parties with lots of music, and a fun water fight taking place on the streets of Thailand!
Songkran is a major Buddhist holiday in Thailand. The origin of Songkran relates directly to Buddhism, and its rites and rituals remain central to modern celebrations. Every Songkran holiday period includes at least one visit to a local temple for prayers in addition to offerings of food and alms to monks.
Many Thai people believe that water is spiritually purifying, and it cleanses you of any bad luck or grievances from the past year and blesses you with fortune and happiness for the year ahead.
Although this festival originated with locals collecting water that had been poured over Buddha statues for cleansing, it has since developed into a kingdom-wide water fight occurring in April which also happens to be Thailand’s hottest month.
why is songkran so special?
Songkran is the ultimate fun festival. In a nutshell: vast quantities of water are stored in whatever vessels take your fancy (squirt guns, buckets, and water balloons are all acceptable) before being used to lovingly drench your nearest and dearest.
It’s a welcome reprieve from the heat but has a serious side too, the original focus being on enriching religious intentions and building family bonds.
Many families wake up early during Songkran and visit Buddhist temples, where they bring offerings such as food and listen to monks as they preach. (Buddhism is a religion practiced mostly in eastern and central Asia.) Visitors sprinkle clean or scented water over statues of Buddha to represent purification and good fortune. Younger people also pour water into the hands of elderly relatives and friends to show their respect and ask for blessings in the coming year.
Some temple visitors bring sand, which is meant to replenish the sand that’s been carried away on shoes throughout the year. They leave the sand in stupas (or mounds) on the ground, which are then decorated with colourful flags and flowers.
how to prepare for songkran
Be sure to collect water in buckets, squirt guns, and anything else you can find, then hit the streets to playfully splash each other, as that is what the locals do! It’s a good thing April is one of the hottest months of the year in Thailand!
what else should i do in thailand in april?
Thailand is moving from the high season into the hot season. You could head north – it’s cooler in the highlands. Alternatively, cool off on the islands and beaches in the south: dive off Ko Tao, climb in Krabi, kayak around Phuket or hang in a hammock wherever you like.
Written by Safe Child Thailand
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