Songkran Day : Thailand's Water Festival 2019 : Amazing Water Throwing Day
Songkran is Thailand’s most famous festival. It's celebrated every year from the 13th to the 15th of April. In Thailand, New Year is now officially celebrated on 1 January, Songkran was the official New Year until 1888, when it was switched to a fixed date of 1 April. Then in 1940, this date was shifted to 1 January. The traditional Thai New Year Songkran was transformed into a national holiday.
It is renowned throughout the world for its festive water celebration. This water festival marks the beginning of the traditional Thai New Year. The name "Songkran" comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘passing’ , ‘approaching’ , 'transformation', 'change', 'shift' or 'movement'. It derives from the movement of the sun from one position to another in the zodiac.
Known as Songkran Day, the first day of the festival is an exuberant celebration with processions of Buddha images taking place throughout the country. The Thai people also prepare themselves for the beginning of the New Year by cleaning their houses.
Appreciation of family is another important aspect of the festival, with many Thai people making their way to their hometowns to spend time with older relatives.
The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. All dress up in colorful clothing or Thai dress. In the Mornings begin with merit-making. Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues and the young and elderly is a traditional ritual on this holiday. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. Many of buddhists also visit temples throughout Songkran where water is poured on Buddha images that is the ritual bathing of Buddha images.
Water is one another important element of Songkran Festival Day, the throwing of water has become a huge part of the annual celebrations. It represents "washing away of one's sins and bad luck".
Songkran is a hugely important festival to Thai people, but it’s also very popular with visitors and many tourists specifically arrange their holidays around this unique event. Anyone and everyone can and will get involved in the celebrations. If you’re out and about during Songkran, you’re guaranteed to end up soaked but you’ll have lots of fun!
If you’re visiting Thailand during this period, prepare to get splashed!, Major streets are closed to traffic, and are used as arenas for water fights. Celebrants, young and old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other. Crowds of people roam around throwing buckets of water, using water pistols and just generally soaking anyone in the vicinity, especially around at Khao San Road in Bangkok, which is one of the most popular streets in the world for backpackers. The Khao San Road is the undisputed hub of activity for Bangkok’s modern celebration of Songkran. Many Thai people and Foreigners alike hold posts equipped with cannon-sized water guns, pressure hoses and gigantic cooler boxes, with suitably strong men manning the buckets beside them.
So, if you’re planning a trip to Songkran in Thailand, hopefully this has given you some insight into what makes this event so important and unique, and prepared you for what you can expect from Songkran celebrations throughout the country. Happy Water Throwing Day!
