Songkran, the New Year in Thailand, is celebrated on April 13-15, just before the rainy season. This is a rather bright, significant event for Thais, compare the Brazilian carnival. Songkran is celebrated every year, according to the ancient Indian astrological calendar. The celebration falls on the periodic change of the year, in Thailand there are three of them: cool and hot periods, as well as the rainy season. The end of the hot period is marked by the arrival of the Thai New Year Songkran.
If you are going on vacation to Thailand, you should know that the chronology there is different from the European style. It originates from the moment the Buddha left for Nirvana, and this happened 543 years earlier than Jesus Christ was born. Therefore, to the current year, for example, 2017, the number 543 should be added, so you can find out what year it is in Thailand. In 2017, Thailand celebrates the year 2560.
For all Thais, it is not unusual that the designation of the year, almost everywhere, is done in this way. If we take into account the official documents with which you need to cross the border, the Gregorian calendar is used. Sometimes you can see duplication of the year, to a greater extent such marks are used for tourists.
Please note that you can celebrate the New Year in Thailand three times: Thai New Year (April 14), European New Year (January 1) and Chinese New Year.
Thai Buddhist New Year, or as it is called, Songkran, no longer affects the chronology. This tradition, founded many centuries ago, has become a state celebration of a wide scale. Unusual action attracts tourists, many want to visit the country in the midst of the celebrations of the Buddhist New Year.
How is the preparation for Songkran going?
The roots of Songkran go back to Ancient India, it is from there that the tradition of celebrating the transition from one season to another, meeting the rainy season, follows. Thais celebrate Songkran in the family circle and in general mass festivities. Preparations begin in advance, a lot of food is prepared according to special Buddhist recipes, some of which is given to the monks in the temples. Before the celebrations in houses and apartments, they carry out a grandiose cleaning, throw away all the old, obsolete things.
Celebrations begin on April 13, people pray, perform various rituals, ask higher powers to give their loved ones health, happiness, love, prosperity. They agree in advance, gather in groups for a general celebration on the streets of cities and towns. Tourists are also recommended to go to the New Year's holiday with a company. In this case, pastime becomes more fun and memorable.
You can celebrate the change of season in the bar by booking a table in advance. The owners of such institutions also prepare in advance, collect water, prepare ice, clay and talc.
How is Thai New Year celebrated?
If you decide to celebrate Songkran in Thailand, you should familiarize yourself with the traditions, prepare for the fact that you will be doused with water and covered with talcum powder. Tourists who are not ready for such actions should stay at home for the period of celebrations.
The celebrations themselves are held everywhere, everywhere there is a spirit of excitement and fun. Local color, customs and rituals oblige tourists to catch up with the Thais and observe all their traditions:
- pour water everywhere;
- smear each other with talc;
- have fun and wish each other happiness.
You should be ready for such actions, not be offended, because this is the essence of an unusual holiday. In mid-April, it is hot in Thailand, so many locals add ice to ordinary water and douse passers-by with cold water. I don’t like it, because such cold water just reduces the whole body. Most of all, when celebrating Songkran, you can see young people running around with buckets, water pistols and bottles for fun. Watering each other, the Thais believe that in this way the body gains strength and the soul is cleansed.
When smeared with talc, the Thais believe that all dirt and negativity leaves them, and it also protects from evil spirits. This is a kind of purification of the body and the revival of the soul. It is believed that the more a person is dirty and doused, the better his cleaning was, which means that in the new year he will succeed, his desires will come true, all his plans will come true, good luck will follow the whole year on the heels.
I celebrated Thai New Year in Koh Samui and Phuket. The holiday is really very cheerful and unusual. As a result, I was doused from head to toe with water and smeared with multi-colored talc. But I got a lot of positive emotions from this event.
However, dousing with water and applying talcum powder to the skin are not the only attributes of the Thai New Year celebration. Thais perform many other rituals and strictly follow traditions:
- They gather families to celebrate Songkran, which is considered a holiday of love and reverence.
- Wang Sangkan Long is the first day of the celebration when everyone says goodbye to the old year. It is marked by a large cleaning of dwellings, throwing away and burning old things. It is believed that along with the trash, all the negativity leaves the house.
- Many ritual dishes are prepared, some of them are brought to temples.
- Monks carry Buddha statues through city and country streets.
- There are flower shows, a beauty contest, Miss Songkran is chosen.
- The second day of the celebration is marked by "Wan Da", the Thais put on new clothes and go to temples, sing the Buddha, and the monks treat the guests with dishes, show respect.
- Returning home after the temple, Thais wash their home statuette of Buddha with water and incense.
- On the streets, people douse themselves with water, coat each other with talcum powder. They hide behind trees to suddenly spray passers-by.
- Cars drive slowly, carrying barrels of water, dousing everyone who gets in their way.
- People themselves describe themselves with colored talcum powder, this is a symbol that protects from evil spirits.
- Birds and turtles are released, this is considered a sign of life extension.
- On the last day of the holiday, "Wan Pakpi", Thais visit their old relatives, wash their hands with water, and then have dinner.
Safety regulations
The celebration of the Thai New Year involves dousing with water and dabbing with talcum powder. Therefore, you should be prudent and prepare in advance to avoid trouble. When going out, you should make sure that the phone is safe, for this you should use a waterproof case. This also applies to cameras and other equipment. Girls are not recommended to apply catchy makeup, it is better to remain without makeup at all.
People are not asked if they want to be doused, just doused without warning. Therefore, various accessories, watches should be left at home. You should not carry notebooks, bags, wallets with you, all this can get wet, become unusable. They can douse with ice water, so people who are prone to colds, as well as those who do not want to get wet, during this period, it is better not to go outside at all.
You should also be extremely careful when riding a bike, as the roads are slippery due to water. Even on the go, a crowd of Thais can run up to you and start pouring water on you from all sides. Therefore, during the celebration of the New Year, move slowly on a bike and look around.
To get to the Songkran celebration in Thailand, you should prepare in advance for the trip so that it includes April 13-15. A vivid spectacle, fullness of emotions, a fun holiday are guaranteed.
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