Learn Thai Culture| Songkran Water Festival วันสงกรานต์

Songkran | Thai New Year and Buddhist Festival| Songkran Water Festival | Thai Culture

Hi everyone.

There is a fun water festival every Thai New Year that many people look forward to! I mean the Songkran Festival or many people might know it as the “Water Festival”. This is the biggest event in the Thai Cultural Calendar and is widely celebrated.

Songkran is a Thai traditional New Year which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for 3-5 days.

During this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually go back to their hometown to celebrate the festival and spend their time with family. The family members stay together in order to show their respects to the elders  (father, mother, grandparents and Uncles and Aunts) by pouring water which mixed of scent flowers onto their hands and also go to make merits to dedicating the result to their ancestors. The elders in return will give the youngsters blessing.

Songkran is also known as the “Water Festival” as people believe that water will wash away bad luck, also make you feel colder in the hottest weather of the year. As a Buddhist, Thais value the religion by going to make merits, offerings alms to monks, Buddhist Dhamma Practice, listening to sermon and monks-bathing. In the afternoon, Thais go bathing Buddha images, and after that both young and old people will enjoy splashing water on each other.

The most well-known place for the celebrations is in the northern province of Chiang Mai where Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15. Also in Bangkok, the famous area for Songkran is Kao San Road and Silom Road where both Thais and farangs are enjoying splashing water. Should you would like to experience the wet and enjoyable festival, you are always welcomed to Thailand during Songkran Festival ^_^.

Vocabulary:

Hope to see you during the Songkran Festival one day in Thailand!

Jang
Thai Language Teacher