A Soaking for Songkran
A Soaking for Songkran
by Matthew Adams
by Matthew Adams
Happy New Year! Eh? Bit late aren’t we? Not a bit of it, at least if you’re Thai, Lao, Khmer or Burmese, as all these cultures traditionally celebrate their New Year in the middle of April, although they now count their official year’s start from January, as we Westerners do.
In Thailand the festival is called Songkran, a word of Sanskrit origin which indicates the passing of the sun into a new zodiac sign, completing the year’s cycle (it’s probably related to Sankranti). Songkran is a massive crowd puller for both Thais and farang (foreigners) because for four days we can forget our differences and basically act like children!
The main attraction for visitors is the tradition of spraying water at each other, which acts as a great leveller between those of high and low status in society; a farm labourer can douse the local bigwigs, and Thais can drench the tourists they serve the rest of the year. It’s really fun to watch the normally reserved Thais showing us who’s boss and letting their hair down.
Songkran lasts for four days, April the 13th to the 16th each year and is thought to have its roots in a Hindu purification ritual although it has taken on a Buddhist mantle over the centuries. The first day is Wan Maha Songkran or Wan Sangkhan Lohng, the end of the old year and a time for house cleaning.
Wan Nao (the 14th of April) is when Thais go down to the river banks and beaches and collect sand for the construction of sand Chedis (pagoda shaped Buddhist reliquaries) decorated with flowers. Wan Nao is also when families make preparations for the next few days, including cooking special food to be offered to monks at the local Wat (Buddhist temple). Finally Wan Payawan marks the start of the New Year and this is the day when families bring their offerings to the temple and ritually clean the temple’s Buddha images to invite merit or good fortune.
Many devout Thais continue this tradition, but some fear the water splashing has surpassed the old ways, although the custom of honouring your elders by washing their hands (from which this whole spectacle is derived) is still widespread, especially in rural communities. This is usually done on the 16th of April or Wan Park Pee.
I spent Songkran 2003 in Patong, Phuket Island and had a great time watching and taking part in the revelries. A good friend of mine has a travel agent's shop round the corner from the Royal Paradise Hotel near the gay area and the katoeys (Thailand’s famous lady boys) were out in force, dancing on speakers and spraying passing motorbikes, buses and pick up trucks with an arsenal of massive water pistols, the source of much lewd amusement.
We spent all day with our own supplies of water guns, buckets and plenty of beer, fighting good naturedly with our friend’s neighbours, passing policemen, each other and truck loads of farangs, some of whom had gone to great lengths and procured huge syringes which squirted freezing water all over us – brrr! I was glad of Thailand’s hot climate I can tell you.
A word to the wise: Although this festival is great fun there are some things to consider. Some of the water cannons have very high pressure and I was once painfully hit in the eyes. If you’re sensitive to things like that, think of wearing swimming goggles, you won’t look any dafter than all the rest of the bedraggled specimens. Also take care with electrical equipment such as cameras and walkmans – if you wouldn’t take it into the pool, don’t take it onto the streets during Songkran. Oh, and don’t wear anything that has sentimental value or made of delicate fabric, you really will get drenched whether you like it or not! And remember at all times to be 'jai yen' or cool hearted, it’s meant to be fun.
For a more traditional festival, you could do worse than head north to the beautiful city of Chiang Mai, the walled capital of the ancient kingdom of Lan Na (Million Rice Fields), where Songkran is celebrated with parades of monks, Buddha statues perched regally on floats, local musicians playing raucous traditional music and a Miss Songkran competition (ok so that’s not so traditional, but Thai ladies are renowned for their beauty so it’s worth a look-see). The New Year’s parade culminates in an address and good luck speech from the Governor of the city and his wife, who are usually thanked for their efforts with a dousing of a few buckets of water!
If you want to see Thailand and have a great time splashing about, having mock battles with Thai children and seeing a traditional Thai festival, this is the best time to come. And don’t forget to say Happy New Year: “Sawatdee Pee Mai!”
Note: Burma has a similar festival called Thingyan; Laos’ Pi Mai celebrations are pretty similar, Luang Phrabang marks the day with elephant parades; and Bonn Chaul Chhnam Khmer in Cambodia features traditional games, and a royal procession in Phnom Penh.
This month’s article
Thailand's Songkran festival has ancient roots, but it's present incarnation owes a lot to modern technology, in particular that must-have gadget: the Water Pistol!
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