History of Songkran Festival [ENG Ver.]
Thai New Year or Songkran (Thai: เทศกาลสงกรานต์, pronounced [tʰêːt.sā.kāːn sǒŋ.krāːn]) is the Thai New Year's national holiday. Songkran is on 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14 to 15 April. In 2018 the Thai cabinet extended the festival nationwide to seven days, 9–16 April, to enable citizens to travel home for the holiday. In 2019, the holiday was observed 9–16 April as 13 April fell on a Saturday. The word "Songkran" comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti, literally "astrological passage", meaning transformation or change. It coincides with the rising of Aries on the astrological chart and with the New Year of many calendars of Southeast and South Asia, in keeping with the Buddhist and Hindu Calendar. The New Year takes place at around the same time as the new year celebrations of many regions of South Asia like China (Dai people of Yunnan Province), India, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
In Thailand, New Year is now officially celebrated 1 January. Songkran was the official New Year until 1888, when it was switched to a fixed date of 1 April. Then in 1940, this date was shifted to 1 January. The traditional Thai New Year Songkran was transformed into a national holiday. Celebrations are famous for the public water fights framed as ritual cleansing. This had become quite popular among Thai and foreigners.
Meaning
Songkran is a term derived from Sanskrit संक्रान्ति saṅkrānti meaning 'to move' or 'movement'. It derives from the movement of the sun from one position to another in the zodiac. According to its literal meaning in Sanskrit, a Songkran occurs every month. However, the period that Thai people refer to as Songkran happens when the sun moves from Pisces to Aries in the zodiac. The correct name for this period should actually be Maha Songkran ('great Songkran) because it coincides with the arrival of a New Year. The Songkran festival is, therefore, a celebration of the New Year in accordance with the solar calendar. The celebration covers a period of three days: 13 April is regarded as Maha Songkran, the day that the sun moves into Aries on the zodiac or the last day of the old year. The next day, 14 April is called Wan Nao, the transitional day between the old and the new years, and 15 April is called Wan Thaloeng Sok (Thai: วันเถลิงศก 'to begin a new era or year'), New Year's day itself.
Songkran Water Festival (Chainese Version)
https://youtu.be/68Qi7Iszkmk?si=b0ccYOqcZsO0kDpLSongkran Water Festival (Russian Version)
https://youtu.be/LPqzW793X-0?si=vsCCqFKLX3D7UBbu
Songkran water Festival (Malay Version)
https://youtu.be/ESIMBvBIQEo?si=FySpXcT9wKJ7mukQ
Songkran Water Festival (Korean Version)
https://youtu.be/2W4zD_nmQs8?si=d9uqXJITXaxznyIGSongkran Water Festival (Japanese Version)
https://youtu.be/Tn8TTAKqrhk?si=tWtojAX-a4evUljSSongkran Water Festival (German Version)
https://youtu.be/xHkxnttFLcs?si=XBbQ78LHrnHIhqg4
Songkran Water Festival (French Version)
https://youtu.be/s8V-wFEKXCk?si=9bI7vIJ2dxbIhSQ5
Discover Amazing Stories | History of Songkran Festival [ENG Ver.]
https://youtu.be/Gj0RiebBNdA?si=O5xU5P5jSDbIpeC1
Songkran : The journey from ancient water festival to UNESCO cultural heritage
UNESCO announced its decision from Botswana on Wednesday afternoon, Thai time, while events to mark the new honour will take place in Bangkok on Thursday.
Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15 each year to mark the traditional Thai New Year. The festival is known for its water-splashing traditions, which symbolise cleansing and purification. However, Songkran is also a time for paying respect to elders, giving alms to monks, and enjoying traditional Thai food and music.
Next year, the Pheu Thai-led government plans to stretch celebrations throughout the whole of April to promote the festival as Thailand’s soft power.
Songkran has a colourful past, which some scholars believe is rooted in an ancient Hindu festival marking the harvest season and the arrival of the new year.
This festival, called Makara Sankranti, celebrated the sun's entrance into the water sign of Aquarius, marking a new astrological period.
The water element, significant in both Hinduism and Buddhism, played a central role in rituals like making sacrifices to deities and the symbolic washing away of sins.
The festival was adopted by the Khmer Empire, which ruled parts of present-day Thailand, around the 11th century.
According to the traditional Thai calendar, the first new moon day of the fifth month is regarded as New Year’s Day. It normally falls on April 13.
Thais regarded Songkran as New Year's Day until 1889, when King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) switched the date to April 1. In 1941, the first day of the year was moved to January 1 by Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram’s government, to match the Western Gregorian Calendar. The Thai traditional New Year switched back to April 13, to be celebrated with a three-day Songkran holiday.
Under the Khmer empire, people bathed under the sun as they believed it helped cleanse the soul of bad karma and freed the spirits of dead ancestors to return to their homeland. This belief was apparently later attributed to the water element in Songkran celebrations.
As Theravada Buddhism flourished in Thailand, Songkran took on new dimensions.
The focus shifted towards merit-making, with people offering food and prayers to monks at temples.
This tradition, called "tam bun", remains an essential part of traditional New Year celebrations today.
During the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1350-1767), Songkran became an elaborate royal ceremony.
The king led processions, offered symbolic gifts to Buddha statues, and participated in the "Washing of the Buddha" ritual. No water splashing took place in those days.
The washing ritual, where people pour water over Buddha images to purge impurities, is still practised widely.
Millions who study or work outside their home provinces grab the opportunity of the three-day holiday to travel home to their families. April 14 is also called Family Day. The government often extends the holiday period by one or two days, creating a long weekend to promote tourism. But the exodus of people, coupled with partying, also leads to a spike in road accidents each year.
Water splashing takes centre stage at Songkran these days, with water guns in all shapes and sizes filling the shelves in shops.
The roots of this tradition are a mystery, though. Culture scholar Sujit Wongthet believes the water fights were encouraged and adopted in modern times to promote tourism.
He notes that a poem about Songkran written during the reign of King Rama III makes no mention of water splashing.
Some scholars believe that water splashing began after King Chulalongkorn began celebrating Thai New Year in 1989.
Today, Songkran is a vibrant celebration of tradition, family, and community whose significance has now earned UNESCO recognition.
People visit temples, offer alms, sprinkle water on their elders to show respect, and engage in joyous water battles symbolising cleansing and renewal.
The gentler side of the festival sees people anointing the hands of their parents, grandparents and seniors with scented water to seek their blessing for the new year.
Many families, especially those in the Northeast, make merit for deceased relatives or ancestors.
Local authorities and shopping malls set up spaces for the public to pour scented water on Buddha images to seek blessing.
Some temples invite worshippers to carry sand into their grounds for future building construction. Many Buddhists believe the practice brings prosperity, hoping that money pours into their pockets to match the amount of sand they carry.
Another traditional New Year activity is the releasing of captive animals. Worshippers buy fish and caged birds to free on Songkran Day, hoping that this act of compassion will wipe away their bad luck.
Songkran's journey from ancient to modern times reflects Thailand's history and culture, weaving together ancient customs, religious beliefs, and a zest for life. The festival is testament to the enduring power of tradition and the joy of celebrating new beginnings And as world intangible heritage, it is here to stay.
The history of Songkran – all you need to know about Thai New Year
Songkran is the largest and most famous festival in Thailand and marks the start of Thai New Year. For younger people it is perhaps best known for its large-scale water fights (or at least it was until the pandemic) but is also known for its traditional water blessing ceremonies. An important event in the Buddhist calendar, Thais will also use the Songkran holidays as an opportunity to return home and spend time with their families.
Originally, the Songkran festival’s date was determined by astronomy, but now, the official date, Songkran takes place is April 13-15. However, depending on the province, celebrations can continue for a week, sometimes longer. Pre-COVID, the Songkran celebrations in places such as Pattaya and Chiang Mai can often take place for up to seven days and longer.
What are the origins of Songkran?
The word Songkran is from a Sanskrit word that means passing or moving and is a metaphor for relocating the zodiac imprint or entering the New Year. Songkran was originally Thailand’s New Year’s Day, and signified the start of the Thai calendar. Between 1888 and 1940, Songkran and New Year’s Day in Thailand was celebrated on April 1 but was later changed to April 13-15, when January 1 became synchronized across the world as New Year’s Day.
Where else is Songkran celebrated?
Other than in Thailand, Songkran is celebrated in Laos, Cambodia, Burma, the Tai ethnic minority of Vietnam, and in China’s Yunnan province as well as in Sri Lanka and other eastern Indian countries. The Songkran festival is culturally rooted in India’s Holi festival. The Holi festival uses a splash of color instead and is celebrated in March.
How is Songkran celebrated in Thailand?
Water is a central element to Songkran and traditionally people would sprinkle water on one another as a way to cool down during the peak of the Thai summer season.
Today, that has escalated somewhat to large scale water throwing celebrations where people use buckets and water pistols to soak anyone within reach. Appreciation of family and elders is also an important part of Songkran. More traditionally, people will mix clean water, fresh flowers, or garlands to pour over the hands of their parents, grandparents or other elderly family members or neighbors.
What are some traditional activities that Thai people do on Songkran?
With COVID-19 preventative measures putting a temporary halt to water throwing, people in Thailand will be opting for more traditional celebrations this Songkran, such as:
Making merit : Many Thai people will visit a temple during Songkran to make merit and pay their respects to people who have passed away. This type of merit-making is frequently planned ahead of time by bringing food to the temple pavilion to offer to the monks.
Sand pagoda work : After making merit, some people may build sand pagodas at their local temples. The building of pagodas is a religious Thai tradition that highlights teamwork among residents who work together to build the pagodas.
Releasing fish and birds : People will release fish and birds at their local temple as a form of making merit. Releasing the animals from the confines of a cage or giving them freedom is meant to signify a cleansing of the sins or a means of eliminating misfortune to bring happiness and comfort.
Pouring water on an adult or elderly person : This is a mark of respect for adults such as parents, teachers and other respected people. Water is poured on the hands of the person who will then bless the individual who is pouring the water.
Bathing the Buddha : Bathing images or statues of Buddha either at home or at a temple. This is typically performed at the end of the merit making ceremony.
House cleaning: The biggest cleaning day of the year, Songkran is when Thai people clean, sweep, and mop to get rid of bad items from their houses. The cleaning symbolizes ridding the home of any terrible things that have occurred during the previous year in readiness for better things for the year ahead.
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