Happy
Songkran Everyone
It has begun. The biggest water fight
in the world and we are in the center of it here in Chiang Mai, the capital of
Songkran. It’s a wild festival and really needs to be seen to be believed.
Massive water fights break out all across the country and it makes you feel
like a kid again.
It is the Thai New Year. It’s a time for cleansing and a time for renewal. The water
washes away all the bad so you can start the year fresh, clean from all that is
wrong in the world.
It’s a happy time of the year where complete strangers can dump water over each others heads and smile about it. It’s an amazing experience and the rest of the world could learn a lot from it. It’s not uncommon for people to throw water at the Police and the Police take it with a smile.
It’s a
Buddhist festival. People bring sand
to the temples in order to replace the dirt that they have carried out with
feet in the past year.The sand is shaped into little stupas— miniature
sand-sculptures which you can view at temples during the Songkran festival.
Buddha statues are paraded through the streets in order for people to pour water
over them, respectfully
“bathing” the holy images.
Throughout the festival, a strong emphasis is placed on renewing traditional family values by showing respect and deference to elders. This is where the practice of throwing water
comes from; it began by pouring scented water on the hands of elders to show
respect and ask for blessings for the new year.
For
the next 5 or 6 days Thailand will stop to play, to wash away their troubles
and worries. In Chiang Mai traffic will not move, trucks will be decked out
with colorful powders and paint, giant tubs and trash cans will be filled with
water and blocks of ice, if you go out you will get wet. People will play
like children, they will laugh and dance, there will be parades, concerts and
respectful temple ceremonies, food, family, friends and Thailand will smile.
Amy and her crew are ready to go.
Did I mention the average daily temperature right now is 107/42
Happy New Year everyone. Sawadee Bee Mai.
