Songkran Festival

The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year’s Day from 13 to 15 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia

The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation but it is now fixed. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year the traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then.

The Thai people celebrate this festival with water. Everyone gets soaking wet and since it is the hottest season of the year, be prepared to get soaked if your walking around.

The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. Thais roam the streets with containers of water or water guns (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc), or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends and neighbors.