Songkran (Thailand New Year): The Water Festival
Songkran Festival or known as Thailand Water Festival, is the most important festival for Thai people. Celebrated as the traditional Thai New Year, Thai people sprinkle water on the elders in show of respect and pay respect to Buddha images.
Date of Songkran 2012
Songkran 2012 falls from Friday, 13 April 2012 to Sunday, 15 April 2012.
Songkran Festival was previously calculated based on Thai lunar calendar, but in recent years is now fixed based on Western calendar. Songkran Festival falls on 13-15 April yearly, though the celebration usually starts before and ends days after the official holiday.
Songkran Water Fights
Songkran Festival, the Water Festival is very closely associated with water. Originally, people gently pour water to elders and family to give good fortune, but now it has evolved to splashing strangers on the streets with water, either with water gun or bucket of water, all in the spirit of good fun. Because of this, Songkran is also often called as the Water Festival.
International tourists have mixed preference about this. Some will avoid traveling to Thailand during Songkran festival, but many plan their travel to coincide with the festival and join in the fun of Songkran water fights.
Pay Respect to Buddha
Many Thai people celebrate Songkran by visiting Buddhist temple (wat) to pay respect to Buddha and to give alms to Buddhist monks. People also clean Buddha images in the temple by gently pouring water on them.
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