Songkran is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 16 April. The celebration is the biggest holiday of the year in Thailand – Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one. In 2013, the official celebration days will be April 13-15, with a few days tagged on to either end to compensate for the holiday falling on a weekend. It also might be a bit longer or shorter, depending on where you are – for instance, celebrations in Chiang Mai often go for a full week. Songkran is truly one of those events on a scale that has to be seen to be believed, and it’s hard to imagine that it came from such humble beginnings.
Observed in one form or another for hundreds of years in several Asian countries, it originally celebrated the end of the dry season. In Thailand, it marked the start of a new solar calendar and was a chance for families to get together and celebrate a (hopefully) successful year gone by and pray for a successful year ahead. Visits to temple were a priority, as was the washing of Buddha images with scented water, which was then collected and poured over the hands or shoulders of family elders as a blessing.
Fast forward a few hundred years. While there is still a great emphasis placed on community, family and temple visits, the most visible part of the celebration is the wild and raucous street parties – giant, no-holds-barred water fights where anyone wanting to stay dry will find it a hopelessly lost cause. The mood is festive, to say the least, and strangers will approach with handfuls of powder to rub into cheeks and hair while yelling “Sawa Dee Bhee Mai!” (Happy New Year!) as water splashes down all around. Luckily, it coincides with the hottest week of the year, so a full-body splashdown is usually a most welcome diversion when temperatures are bumping up against 40 degrees Celsius.
If a trip to Thailand is in the cards for this holiday, there are a few things one must be aware of:
Asia's leading and fastest growing online hotel reservation service Agoda.com is offering fantastic hotel deals in Bangkok and Chiang Mai to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year.
BangkokObserved in one form or another for hundreds of years in several Asian countries, it originally celebrated the end of the dry season. In Thailand, it marked the start of a new solar calendar and was a chance for families to get together and celebrate a (hopefully) successful year gone by and pray for a successful year ahead. Visits to temple were a priority, as was the washing of Buddha images with scented water, which was then collected and poured over the hands or shoulders of family elders as a blessing.
Fast forward a few hundred years. While there is still a great emphasis placed on community, family and temple visits, the most visible part of the celebration is the wild and raucous street parties – giant, no-holds-barred water fights where anyone wanting to stay dry will find it a hopelessly lost cause. The mood is festive, to say the least, and strangers will approach with handfuls of powder to rub into cheeks and hair while yelling “Sawa Dee Bhee Mai!” (Happy New Year!) as water splashes down all around. Luckily, it coincides with the hottest week of the year, so a full-body splashdown is usually a most welcome diversion when temperatures are bumping up against 40 degrees Celsius.
 |
| The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. |
- Do come to any water fights armed with the essentials – water gun (which you can buy at any store around this time), plastic bags for your wallet/phone, goggles or sunglasses, and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.
- Don’t wear skimpy clothes if you’re female. Doing this and jumping into wild, wet crowds that are in full-on party mode is a bad idea in any country.
- Do plan the day carefully. Head out with friends, have a meeting place if the group gets separated, and drink lots of water (just not the stuff that’s being dumped on your head).
- Don’t expect to go out and stay dry, even in non-party zones. If you do get a stray splash or someone runs up and pours a cup of water over your back, don’t flip out – it’s done in fun and is meant as a blessing.
- Do remember that Songkran is all about fun. It’s never ideal when some jokester shoots a jet of ice-cold water down your back or a bit of powder gets in your eyes, but laugh it off and continue the revelry. After all, this is the Land of Smiles!
Asia's leading and fastest growing online hotel reservation service Agoda.com is offering fantastic hotel deals in Bangkok and Chiang Mai to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year.
Grand China Hotel 4*
Enjoy 52% off your stay. Expires December 31, 2013.
Montien Riverside Hotel 4*
Enjoy 30% off your stay. Expires March 31, 2014.
Prince Palace Hotel 4*
Enjoy 60% off your stay. Expires October 31, 2014.
Tai-Pan Hotel 3.5*
Enjoy 50% off your stay. Expires December 31, 2014.
Montien Hotel Bangkok 4*
Enjoy 50% off your stay. Expires October 31, 2013.
Chiang Mai
Baan Gong Kham Hotel 3*
Enjoy 53% off your stay. Expires December 31, 2013.
Panviman Chiangmai Spa Resort 4.5*
Enjoy 64% off your stay. Expires October 31, 2013.
Kiree Thara Mountain & Lake Side Boutique Resort 4*
Enjoy 60% off your stay. Expires November 30, 2013.
Singha Montra Hotel 4*
Enjoy 55% off your stay. Expires October 31, 2014.
Ruen Ariya Resort 4*
Enjoy 50% off your hotel. Expires Feb 28, 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment