Songkran - The Thai New Year
The Thai New Year (Thai: Songkran) is celebrated every year on 13 April to 15 April. 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. Songkran is a Thai word which means "move" or "change place" as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac. It is also known as the "Water Festival" as people believe that water will wash away bad luck.
In the afternoon, after performing a bathing rite for Buddha images and the monks, the celebrants both young and old, joyfully splash water on each other.
The most-talked about celebration takes place in the northern province of Chiang Mai where Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15. During this period, people from all parts of the country flock there to enjoy the water festival, to watch the Miss Songkran Contest and the beautiful parades.
Of all the feasts and festivals in Thailand, which aremany, the Songkran Festival is the most striking, forit is widely observed not only in this country but also in Burma, Cambodia and the Lao State.
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