As I was writing this article, it was a New Year in many countries in Asia. It was time to celebrate the year with both a religious ceremony and the ordinary enjoyment of a family’s days together
Songkran Festival (New Year’s Festival) in Thailand is celebrated on 13-15 April every year. It is, by far, the most popular festival in Thailand for both Thai people and foreigners alike, even though in some quarters it has become a rowdy, fun-seeking, and occasionally disrespectful activity. But for most, it is a time of purification, renewal and celebration.
Many countries near Thailand also celebrate this festival: Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma) and Thai people in Yunnan of China. Sri Lanka also celebrates a similar festival called Sinhalese, and the Tamil New Year coincides with this festival. In India, the Assamese, Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Punjabi, and Malayali New Year falls on the same dates. The same date is celebrated widely throughout the Indian subcontinent, albeit based on the astrological event of the sun beginning its northward journey.
Songkran Festival in Thailand
Nowadays, the emphasis is on fun and water-throwing rather than on the festival's spiritual and religious aspects, which sometimes prompts complaints from traditionalists. In recent years there have been calls to moderate the festival to lessen the many alcohol-related road accidents as well as injuries attributed to extreme behavior such as water being thrown in the faces of traveling motorcyclists.
The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. People roam the streets with containers of water or water guns, or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends and neighbors.
Besides the throwing of water, people celebrating Songkran may also go to a Wat (Buddhist temple-monastery) to pray and give food to the monks. They may also cleanse Buddha images in household shrines as well as Buddha images at monasteries by gently pouring water mixed with a Thai fragrance over them. It is believed that doing this will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year. In many cities, such as Chiang Mai, the Buddha images from all of the city's important monasteries are paraded through the streets so that people can toss water at them, ritually 'bathing' the images, as they pass by on ornately decorated floats.
In northern Thailand, people may carry handfuls of sand to their neighborhood monastery in order to recompense the dirt that they have carried away on their feet during the rest of the year. The sand is then sculpted into stupa-shaped piles and decorated with colorful flags.
One of the traditional values points to the Thai family and the opportunity for family members to express their respect for their elders. Younger members of the family pour scented water on the hands of their parents, and grandparents. They may present them with gifts or tokens of their love. In return, elders wish youngsters good luck and prosperity.
In temples, elder members of the family gather to make merit, offering alms to the monks. They may help clean the temple courtyard, or perform bathing rites for Buddha images
In the past, the fun of splashing water on friends or strangers had to wait until the late afternoon when the religious duties and ceremonies were over. That is not always true today.
The Songkran Festival is an important part of the public relations campaign of the Thai tourism authority to support culture and enjoyment of people in Thailand and all over the world. It is, after all, a festival that welcomes everyone.
IELTS CHIANGMAI THAILAND
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