SONGKRAN
I
t’s that time of the year again! For
the 13th, 14th and 15th of April,
prepare yourself, your plans and
your water guns, as Songkran
is fast approaching! Songkran is a
traditional Thai festivity which marks
the beginning of the Thai New Year and
is voraciously celebrated by everyone in
the country. Processions with pictures
of Buddha are common and more
common still is the splashing of water.
Thailand doesn’t get any hotter than
during its April month, something that
makes Songkran a refreshing, enjoyable
and much needed celebration in Thai
tradition. On this day, enormous masses
of exhilarated people flood the streets
to splash water at each other: buckets,
cups, glasses water pistols… you name
it. Dressed in colourful outfits, they
all march to the rhythm of songs and
dance to welcome the coming year, in
which the water is said to symbolise the
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Mar 15 - Apr 15 , 2015
washing away of all the accumulated
bad luck. In that spirit, nobody is
excluded from the cleansing, so being
on the streets is a definite invitation for
water to be thrown at you – Nobody is
excluded!
For the Thais, Songkran is a festivity
to spend time with the family. Young
members are granted blessings by
elders, by having water poured over
their heads. People visit temples too,
where water is poured over pictures of
Buddha.
In Hua Hin, the most prominent time
for water-splashing is the inaugural
day – Go to places such as Pattaya and
Chiang Mai however, and you will have
three intense days of soaking people!
This Songkran, come out of your hiding,
submerge yourself in the experience
and have a fantastically refreshing day!