Songkran Festival

Songkran Festival is the one of the most famous festival in Thailand. It is also known as traditional Thai New Year Day which starts on April 13 until April 15 every year. Songkran festival on April 13 is Maha Songkran Day; April 14 is Wan Nao and April 15 is wan Thaloeng Sok. Songkran festival is very important to the Thai people because it is a special time to have fun, make merit, splash water at each other and do other activities.

Before Songkran festival starts most of Thai people go back their hometown and prepare several items. First of all, to splash water at each other, the important items are water gun, powder, bowl and bucket. Second, to pay respect to the elderly, they use a bowl of water filled with perfume, a piece of cloth to give to the elderly and some flowers. Next, people prepare fine food and dessert to give to the monks. Lastly, all of the items are important and they will be used on Songkran festival.

People like to perform various activities on Songkran Days, such as offering food to the monks, Bangsakul ,and shaping pagodas with sand and release birds and fishes. People will get up early morning, cook fine food and bring it to give to the monks in the nearby temples. Then they make merit by Bangsakun. It is a ritual performance by monks for the remain of the death. In the afternoon, people carry sand from riverbank to pile in the ground area and shape it like pagodas near temples. This is the belief that everyday, people go to the temple and when they finish activities, some sand or soil will stick to their shoes, so the sand that they bring to pile at the temple in Songkran festival can replace that sand. Besides, the sand can also be used to build any buildings in the temple after the festival as well. Moreover, releasing birds and fishes is one of the merit-making activities that people always do on Songkran Days. It is a belief that releasing birds is to gain freedom of life and releasing fishes is to have a fresh and cool life.

During the holidays of Songkran festival, people splash water at each other, rinse water to the hands of the elders and have parties. People have a bucket, water gun or a bowl of water mixed with perfume to politely splash at each others. This activity is also called “war of water”. Besides, people will rinse water to the hand of the older in order to pay respect. In the past, when Songkran festival came, people would give a bath to the elderly because it was a hot season, but nowadays the ceremony has changed to rinse water to the hands of the elderly only. The item that is usually prepared for this activity is a piece of cloth to give to the older, some flowers, and water filled with perfume. At night they have parties for blessing. At the party they eat special food and drink such as barbecue, spicy papaya salad, beer, wine, dance, sing karaoke, etc.

Songkran Day is traditional Thai New Year. It starts on 13 April of every year, and it is a long holiday for Thai people. They go back their hometown and stay with family. They go to the temple to do activities. It is the old tradition which has been inherited from long generations.

References
1.http://www.thailandlife.com/songkran/index.php

2.http://www.ielts.in.th/Articles/?p=181

3.http://kruket.igetweb.com/index.phpmo=3&art=246556

4.http://tulip.bu.ac.th/~1500402035/songkran.htm

5.http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/04/13/thailands-songkran-crisis-of-20092/

6.http://www.bangkokview.com/songkran-activities.htm
7.http://sumalee120285.multiply.com/journal/item/1
8.Dictionary of Buddhism, Phra Dhamapitaka. See the word Songkran, page 349.