You may have heard of a giant water fight that takes place in Thailand every year, what you have probably heard about is the incredible water fight that takes place in Chiang Mai each year to celebrate Songkran. Whilst this water festival is a key part of Songkran, the festival itself is much more than that and today we are going to take a look at what the festival is, how it is celebrated and what makes the festival so special to the people of Thailand.
What is Songkrann
Songkrann is a celebration of the Thai New Year, the festival takes place on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April each year and it signifies the end of winter and the beginning of the spring. The etymology of the word Songkran comes from the Sanskrit word ‘saṃkrānti’, which means astrological passage and the festival coincides with Aries rising on the charts of astrology. There are a great deal of traditions which take place to herald in the New Year and many rituals which the Thai people make in order to ensure they have the most successful year that they can.
Traditions and Rituals
Some of the symbolic traditions which take place during Songkran are the visiting of temples and taking food to Buddha, pouring water on the statues of Buddha as a cleansing process is also performed and many people who have moved away from their families will return to be with them to signify unity. Pouring water on the hands of elders by the younger members of the family is also something that is heavily practiced by way of showing respect.
The Water Festival
The most famous aspect of the Songkran tradition is the water festival, the one which you may have heard about in Chiang Mai has gained such notoriety as a result of its popularity amongst tourists but these festival take place throughout Thailand. The water festival is an extension of the cleansing of Buddha statues and signifies the Spring-cleaning aspect of this time of year. In many cities and towns throughout Thailand you will find locals showering each other in water from water tanks and guns or even just throwing buckets of water over each other by way of celebration and purification.
Aside from the water festivals, you may also see chalk being thrown over people. This custom has its origins in the monastery as monks used to place chalk on one another as part of the blessing process.
Influences
The festival of Songkrann is heavily influenced by the Hindu festival Holi, the mixture of chalk and water for example are very familiar to the customs used in Holi and even the names are similar in their traditional languages.
Songkrann is a great festival to be part of and you can join the Thais in heralding in their New Year in style the next time that you are in Thailand.
