The Thai New Year's Day is 13 April every year, but the holiday period includes 14–15 April as well. I’ll arrive at April 14, does that mean I can’t experience where the water throwing is happening since in your article, it happens on April 13? Songkran in Thai means to ‘move’ or ‘change place’.

Thai and Farang (foreigners) alike hold posts equipped with cannon-sized water guns, pressure hoses and gigantic cooler boxes, with suitably strong men manning the buckets beside them. The festival here kicks off slightly earlier on the 12th April, with an eye-catching procession around the city. The Songkran Festival is a period when Thai people splash water on themselves, which they believe will cause plenty of rainfall in the coming year. Compared with other Thailand’s festival, Songkran is known to be the best. [4] It is related to the equivalent Hindu calendar-based New Year festivals in most parts of South Asia which are collectively referred to as Mesha Sankranti. Culture Trip stands with Black Lives Matter. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year and involves a water fight, daily prayer, dance performances and food stalls which serve food of Thai, Burmese, Cambodian, Laotian, Sri Lankan and Malaysian origin. [16][17] In the Melbourne suburb of Footscray, Victoria a Lunar New Year celebration initially focusing on the Vietnamese New Year has expanded into a celebration of the Songkran celebrations of the Thais, Cambodians, Laotians and other Asian Australian communities such as Chinese who celebrate the New Year in either January/February or April. The so… This water festival is one of the most loved and popular events in Thailand. The northern capital of Chiang Mai plays host to the biggest celebrations of Songkran, with some festivities reputedly spanning six days. Songkran in Wat Po, Bangkok. The Songkran Water Festival is the most memorable experience in Thailand when visitors can witness the entire country joining in friendly water fights and street parties that last nearly a week. Read on if you’re ready to be inspired to #MeetTheWorld BEYOND the tourist brochure! Paying respects to elders is important in many Songkran celebrations, such as those in Thailand. During this period, you’ll enjoy fun-filled local entertainments and fun. It wasn't until 1940, that this date was then shifted to 1 January. The Thai people also prepare themselves for the beginning of the New Year by cleaning their houses. It is also more common in the north of Thailand for people to collect sand, which is taken to their local monastery. This practice mirrors the act of Monks blessing objects. The Songkran Festival, also known as the Traditional Thai New Year, is usually celebrated in mid-April. Taking place in April, Songkran embraces everyone. It is one of Thailand’s grandest and most important events. If you’re visiting Thailand during this period, prepare to get splashed! Songkranday Festival: The Best Locations To Get Wet, Songkran Day Tips: To Help Make The Most Of Your Day Out, What Is The Songkran Festival? Songkran Water Festival 2017 is celebrated all over the country and can vary from one day, on the 13th of April (in Phuket) to a whole week in the north in Chiang Mai. The festive occasion is in keeping with the Buddhist/ Hindu solar calendar. Changing the World with WaterAid – Art Activists Need Your Vote! Thailand’s largest island is buzzing with activity during Songkran, especially in the Patong Beach area. (What Does It Mean), Copyright © 2020 by Expert World Travel.

Most young Thai people use pump-action water guns and pump buckets to soak themselves up. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. The festival also showcases a bathing ritual where the people pour water on the senior Buddhist monks. Roger is a little obsessed with travel. Along Bangla Road, which is where you’ll find the liveliest nightspots in Patong, Songkran celebrations continue well into the wee hours. Since these somewhat genteel beginnings, Songkran has developed into a kingdom-wide water fight, occurring in April, which luckily happens to be Thailand’s hottest month. Making a splash - celebrating Songkran. Pohela Boishakh, West Bengal, India and Bangladesh, Kashmiri New Year, in Jammu and Kashmir, India, Ugadi, in Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, India. I wanted to find out if there is an entrance fee or no entrance tickets to be purchased for the Songkran Water Festival. Information and translations of Songkran in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.

As a tourist, you are presented with the opportunity of enjoying traditional Thai performances and know more about the history of Songkran. Depending on which area within Thailand, the celebration can last between 3 to 10 days.

The Thai people believe that water is spiritually purifying: it cleanses you of any bad luck or grievances from the past year, and blesses you with fortune and happiness for the year ahead. It derives from the movement of the sun from one position to another in the zodiac. While walking in Lumpini Park, we were approached by a group of four policemen, intent on smearing us with clay before taking a commemorative photo. Songkran celebrations are held in many parts of the country. Leave all valuable assets at your hotel, or secure them in a waterproof bag, because every square inch of your body will get very wet. The festival, held between 13 and 15 April in Thailand, is also celebrated in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Songkran, “Water War” at Chaweng Beach (Ko Samui). Street food, cultural celebrations and traditional performances remain an important part of Songkran in northern Thailand. The young people pay gratitude and also show a sign of respect to elders in a sacred ritual, which involves pouring down scented water on their hands and also giving them new clothes. ExpertWorldTravel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Events during the festival include water throwing, the ritual bathing of Buddha images, processions and performances. It begins when the sun transits the constellation of Aries, the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, as reckoned by sidereal astrology. Children, adults and the elderly dance together on the pavements; truckloads of teenagers, pumping heavy bass, maraud the streets; and the ever present street dogs take refuge wherever they can. It is the occasion for family reunions, temple visits and annual house cleaning. The thoroughfares are lined with stalls selling water guns of all shapes and sizes, as well as mixing buckets of clay. A festival celebrating the traditional Thai New Year, held in April and marked by the throwing and sprinkling of water.

The real meaning behind the splashes is to symbolically wash off all misfortunes in the past year, thus welcoming the new year with a fresh start.

Songkran is the most important in Thai culture. One of the best times to visit Thailand is during the celebration of the Songkran Festival. Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word, (or, more specifically,). Saphan Hin Park is the main focus of the festivities in Phuket Town. The Khao San Road is the undisputed hub of activity for Bangkok’s modern celebration of Songkran. The name Songkran comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘passing’ or ‘approaching’. According to its literal meaning in Sanskrit, a songkran occurs every month. Plenty! More example sentences. i’ll arrive at April 14 too . [2][3] It begins when the sun transits the constellation of Aries, the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, as reckoned by sidereal astrology. It coincides with the rising of Aries on the astrological chart, the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia. This ancient festival celebrates the Thai New Year, April 13 through April 15. Anyone and everyone can and will get involved in the celebrations. Expect gridlocked streets filled with pickup trucks throwing water at locals and tourists alike. [21] The International Lao New Year Festival is held annually in San Francisco and celebrates the Lao New Year with acknowledgment of other Asian communities, Thai, Cambodian, Burmese, Sri Lankan and the Dai people of southern China, who also celebrate the same festival. Definition of Songkran in the Definitions.net dictionary. Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word, saṅkrānti (or, more specifically, meṣa saṅkrānti)[clarification needed] and used to refer to the traditional New Year celebrated in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of northeast India, parts of Vietnam and Xishuangbanna, China. Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year festival since the former time. This is believed to bring longevity, good health and prosperity.  The best areas to stay in Phuket: a neighbourhood guide, I had to do an essay on Thai new year and this has all the information, Oh no. Songkran celebrations involve a variety of diverse traditions practiced in the many countries and regions that celebrate the traditional New Year festival. In order not to bring bad luck into the New Year, it is a tradition that all houses are completely cleaned a day before the celebration. The answer is always simple – Thai New Year.