Every year from April 13th to 15th, Thailand celebrates its traditional New Year, the Songkran Festival, also known as the Water Festival. In December 2023, the Songkran Festival was officially added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. During Songkran, people celebrate by splashing water on each other. In Buddhist tradition, water symbolizes purification and blessings, and the act of splashing water represents the removal of bad luck and the beginning of a fresh new year.
Songkran Festival is also a time for family reunions, as people gather with their loved ones to celebrate the New Year, perform traditional rituals, make wishes for the coming year, and hope for better times ahead.
- The Origin of Songkran
The word “Songkran” comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “to move” or “to transfer,” referring to the sun’s movement into the zodiac sign of Aries. This marks the time when day and night are of equal length, signaling the start of the new year in Thai culture. According to ancient Indian astronomy, the sun travels along the ecliptic, and after completing its passage through the 12th zodiacal constellation Pisces in March, it enters the 1st zodiacal constellation Aries in April. Thus, Songkran, celebrated in April, symbolizes the renewal of the year. Originally, Songkran was celebrated according to the Thai lunar calendar. However, to make it easier to calculate, the Thai government set the festival dates from April 13th to 15th on the Gregorian calendar and declared it a national public holiday.
Songkran is a time for grand charity and offerings, lasting for three days. April 13th is “Big Songkran”, the first day of the New Year, also known as “Old Year’s Day”. April 14th is a family day where younger people offer water to elders as a sign of respect and to receive blessings. April 15th is “New Year’s Day”.
- The Legend of Songkran
One legend tells of the celestial being Kapinpon, who made a bet with the divine child, Kumon. After losing, Kapinpon cut off his own head. However, his head had the power to cause disaster: if it touched the ground, it would create a firestorm; if thrown into the sky, it would cause a drought; and if thrown into the sea, it would dry up the oceans. To prevent disaster, Kapinpon entrusted his severed head to his eldest daughter, Thongsa. She placed it in a cave and, along with her six sisters, took turns guarding it. As a result, Kapinpon’s seven daughters became the Songkran goddesses, each associated with a specific day of the week. From April 13th to 15th each year, one of the Songkran goddesses would parade with her head, signaling the start of the Songkran Festival.
- Traditional Customs
During Songkran, people bring offerings to the temples to present to the monks, pray, and bathe the Buddha statues. They also release birds and fish to accumulate good karma for this life and the next. After these religious rituals, the water-splashing activities officially begin.
Throughout Songkran, Thailand is filled with a festive atmosphere. On the streets, both locals and tourists enjoy the lively celebrations, splashing water at each other and letting loose in a joyful, carefree way, reliving the innocence and fun of childhood.
- Festival Activities
During Songkran, various large-scale events are held across Thailand, from the capital, Bangkok, to other popular tourist cities such as Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. The celebrations include traditional cultural ceremonies, elephant water-splashing, water gun battles, float parades, street parties, international music festivals, shopping festivals, and food festivals—there is no shortage of activities to enjoy.
