Songkran

a Songkran scene- we didn't take this photo but have seen this played out many times!

It's Songkran again, the celebration of the traditional Thai New Year, the hottest part of the year. It is a time when many Thai people travel home to be with their families. The water throwing aspect of the festival, as I understand it, has its roots in honor, both honoring elders by pouring water over hands in blessing, and honoring Buddhist images by 'bathing' them with water. What we see now in the streets is a full fledged water party, loud music and dancing. You are not safe from soaking if you're out and about during the Songkran festivities. 

Off to Thai Culture Day at school, before the Songkran break

We have some fun (and some stressful) Songkran memories made over the last years; from dancing in the streets in an Isaan village accompanied by ear-splitting decibels of music, to enjoying the quiet of Bangkok when everyone empties out, to being splashed by buckets of water thrown by festive folks on the side of the road, to taking refuge in a quiet spot in a northern city. We have our water guns ready, but this year we hope for quiet and rest.

Thai festivals are rarely solemn occasions, and few countries celebrate them with so much fun and color. Annual rites and festivities, marking religious devotion or the passage of seasons, have long been an integral part of Thai life. A 13th century Thai inscription reads:  

"Whoever wants to make merry, does so; whoever wants to laugh, does so."        

- DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, Thailand

Happy New Year!