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Sriwittayapaknam School > English Homepage > Thai Culture at School > Songkran Festival
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Songkran Festival, April 12-15, is the traditional Thai New Year. This is the time for Thais to pay homage to Buddha images, clean their houses, and sprinkle water on their elders in a show of respect. Anyone who ventures out on the streets is likely to get a thorough dousing of water, all in good fun, but also quite welcome at the peak of the hot season.
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| The festivities at school started with a small sketch to show the students the real meaning behind Songkran. In the picture to the left, a "daughter" is sprinkling water over the hands of her "parents" in order to show respect. |
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| Afterwards, the students lined up to pay respects to the Buddha image and then to the teachers by pouring rose scented water over their hands. |
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| Even the teachers took part in the ceremony. During Songkran, all of the offices and schools were closed and people celebrated for almost a week in some places. Many of our students went out on the back of pick-up trucks armed with buckets of water and water guns. Others stationed themselves on strategic intersections in order to douse motorcyclists or any motorist with their windows wound down. No-one complained about getting wet as April is very hot. |
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| The traditional Thai new year celebrations start on April 13th and can run on for 4 or 5 days. Students attending summer school take part in a special ceremony at the school the day before the holidays start. The Buddha images are brought out and the students pay respect by pouring rose scented water over them. Next, they pour a little water over the hands of their teachers who in return say a little blessing for them. This scene is repeated all over the country in homes and temples. Most migrant workers return to their province during Songkran to pay respect to their parents and grandparents. People also visit their local temples to make merit by bathing Buddha images and splashing a little water over monks. |
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| If you have ever been to Thailand during the Songkran festival you probably had buckets of water poured over you as you walked down the road. This is all done in fun as everyone in Thailand takes part in the biggest water fight ever. In the pictures above you can see that our students and teachers had some fun too! Most people don't mind getting wet as April is the hottest time of the year. It doesn't take long to get dry. For those people who don't like getting wet usually have to stay in door for 4 or 5 days. |
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