Bangkok, Thailand
Sunday 14 April 2024
Happy Thai New Year 2024!
People in Thailand are now celebrating Thai New Year 2024, better known as Songkran Water Festival. Starting from 13 April which is called Maha-Songkran Day, most Songkran celebrations continue for the next few days. Yet, the celebrations could be held later in some areas especially outside the main cities.
Songkran Day in Thailand was once a peaceful period famous only among Thai people. The special day makes Thai family members reunion and enjoy their moment together. The day would begin with making merits --giving foods and other offerings to the monks at home or at the temple, listening to the sermon from the monk at the temple, for example. Then family members would have meals as well as giving their home cooked food to their relatives and neighbors. The young would express their gratitude to the elderly by paying respect and gently pouring water over the senior's hands. During the day, the young would have fun by playing games and splashing water at friends, relatives or familiar people. The water they splash is clean and quite often added with sweet scent of local traditional mixture, called nam-ob-Thai. Thus, people were usually in pleasant and joyful moods. If some want to splash water at strangers or unfamiliar persons, they need to ask them politely and friendly for their permission first and give them good blesses. Without the permission, they could not do their splashing. Hence, it was rare to see angry faces or crazy people during Songkran Day. The day was then rather quiet, almost sacred, but happy and memorable moments.
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Today Songkran Day has changed a great deal and, probably, is one of the world's top gathering event rather than a local celebrating event. Thailand has become a top destination for foreign visitors from around the globe to come and join Songkran celebrations or better known as water shooting festival among foreigners. The once peaceful day was turned into the period of fun and loud day when anyone could get wet from water shooting or throwing by any others. Young people and even some older ones care little about making merits and family reunion. Their Songkran Day top activity is to have fun soaking other people as much as possible; familiar ones or strangers don't matter. No need for asking for permission from those who will become the victims of their water shooting any more. No more concern about politeness and fine manner. Simply to have fun and freedom to do as one is pleased. Thanks to Thailand' s tourism authority that maybe focuses mostly on the number of tourists and tourist incomes rather than the other important components of the precious and long tradition behind this special day Songkran.
As long as it is considered by many as a time for big fun, Songkran festival will continue and attract visitors both local and foreign ones to join the events. This year the Thai government has already announced that the celebrations and fun period would carry on through the end of this month at different locations. Besides, as the temperature in this summer time here in Thailand is skyrocketing, up to 40 Celsius in some areas, water shooting or splashing might help a lot of people become more relaxing and start loving one another better (I keep my fingers crossed though).
Happy Songkran Day, Happy Thai New Year!
Gigi
