Songkran

Songkran is a time for family reunions, visits to temples and spring housecleaning. – Songkran is the celebration of the traditional Thai New Year and lasts several days.

During the festival, revellers participate in traditional water pouring, which varies for a gentle pour onto the head or shoulders, to a full body splash! The symbolism of the water is important because it represents the cleansing of all the misfortunes in the previous year and a new beginning for the New Year.

Many temples (Wats) will be full of people waiting to give alms to monks, either waiting to receive their blessing inside the Wat, or waiting outside to give offerings to congregations of monks.

Many Wats will feature pagodas made of sand, build outside the temple walls. This sand represents all the soil that has left the temples on the shoes of all of its visitors. They will be decorated with flags, candles and other gifts placed by visitors to the Wat.

A special feature of Songkran celebrations is the Rod Nam Dum Hua ceremony, which is celebrated throughout the day. On this day younger people will pour fragrant water on the hands of the elder’s as a gesture of humility and as a request for their blessings.

People will also pour fragrant water over Buddhist statues in the temples to clean them – others make merit by doing this in nine different Buddhist temples on this particular day. Traditionally this water would be then taken to wash the hands of the elders of your community.

Ram Nam Dum Hua is also an occasion where if a family cannot visit the temple, they will wake up early to give alms to the monks that pass by their homes. Many households do this every week but at this time it is the whole family who waits to give alms to the monks.

Traditionally the water used during the Ram Nam Dum Hua ceremony is fragrant. Even today, fragrant water can be found in found in people’s homes and Wats during this time – even the fountain at Cape Panwa Hotel will contain fragrant water during the Ram Nam Dum Hua festivities.

It is most certain that the water that you will encounter during the Songkran Festival will come from a wide variety of sources, such as water guns, ice cube trucks, buckets, hoses and even fire trucks.

At Cape Panwa Hotel we celebrate Songkran by visiting a Buddhist temple in the morning, having an enormous water fight on the beach, blessing people who selflessly take care of others and have a Thai buffet on the beach at Panwa House.

Don’t forget that if you are splashed, the response you should give is ‘Sawasdee Pi Mai’ (Happy New Year), and then splash them back!

              

Songkran - splash, splash and thanks

Thank you to Mr Diday for his photographs.

The Songkran Festival is widely documented as the “World's Greatest Water Fight”

A rather one-dimensional view, which overlooks the beauty and true meaning of this famous Thai festival. Songkran is the Thai New Year – which is traditionally celebrated over three days, from April 13 through 15 – April 13 is the end of the old year and April 15 the beginning of the new one. Like Easter, it marks the beginning of a new life cycle on earth – and signals the beginning of the rains in Thailand, that will become more frequent and thus start the growth of new crops in the fields.

The Thai people celebrate this occasion by visiting the temple in the early morning bearing alms for the monks. Wirat and Tim took a number of guests to Wat Thepnimit temple in the morning where the monks received these alms to use for their own benefit or distribute to the needy.

Thank you to Ann and June for their contributions

Songkran is also a celebration of “family”. April 14 is known as “Family Day”. Elders and parents are visited by their children and grandchildren.  The young pour scented water over their elder’s hands, who in return, wish them good health, happiness and prosperity.  This tradition of paying respect is called “Rod Nam Dam Hua”.  Note again the use of water.

After visiting Wat Thepnimit temple in the morning, they took the guests on a tour through Sapan Hin to allow them to experience celebrations first-hand and, of course, get soaking wet!!! 

At the bottom of the hill to Cape Panwa they were ambushed by Russell (the owner of Sunset Bar) who had been lying in wait there.

The tour was followed by a “Pong-Lang” parade and a number of embarrassing games – thoroughly enjoyed by all on the hotel beach that afternoon. The day closed with a delicious Thai buffet in front of  Panwa House that had to be rapidly moved indoors because of rain (more water) – yet another blessing from above for our lucky guests!

Happy Songkran from all of us at Cape Panwa.

              

Songkran with Cape Panwa

The Songkran Water Festival/Thai New Year, is referred to as the ‘Worlds greatest Water Fight’ and if you choose to walk down the street this week – or visit the beach you will quickly know why!

Water is the focus of the Thai New Year because of the irreplaceable role it plays in agriculture.

Songkran’s origins lie in ancient astrology and in the position of the sun – which explains why it is celebrated on slightly different dates each year – any excuse for a longer party!

Tim enjoyed taking guests to the temple in the morning and neglected to tell them that they would be ambushed on the way home – which meant that his guests were seriously unprepared for the watery onslaught!!!

This was followed by a wet party at lunchtime and then there was dinner at Panwa House with water drunk rather than thrown.

A wonderful day with wonderful people.

              

Songkran Temple Tour in Bangkok

Celebrate the Thai New Year by making merit at ten well-known temples around Bangkok.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand, together with the BMTA, are organising an event called “Sawadee Pee Mai Thai… Wai Phra 10 Wat” (สวัสดีปีใหม่ไทย… ไหว้พระ10วัด). 

Thai Buddhists and foreign tourists are invited aboard a special free bus service from 6th to 17th April to make merit at 10 temples during the Songkran New Year holiday. 

The service runs from 8:00am to 4:00pm and starts from the Victory Monument.

The ten temples are as follows: 

The Marble Temple – https://goo.gl/maps/TAuJdufMkv72

Wat Sam Phraya Worawiharn – https://goo.gl/maps/gEZ5NWJLNSJ2

Wat Chanasongkhram Ratchaworamahawihan – https://goo.gl/maps/DgZg7WP2sNB2

Wat Bowonniwet – https://goo.gl/maps/jmDr7amS2Hq

Wat Mahathat – https://goo.gl/maps/7yiF2ib8RGS2

Temple of the Emerald Buddha – https://goo.gl/maps/4H9XTYxMCvD2

Temple of the Reclining Buddha – https://goo.gl/maps/S16v1yf2EFP2

Wat Suthat –  https://goo.gl/maps/7fZPAgKZdxN2

Wat Ratchanatda (Metal Castle) – https://goo.gl/maps/68nruX9Hubp

Wat Saket - https://goo.gl/maps/uN1qoie3QdF2

 A gentle reminder of what #Songkran and all the water is about, please dress with respect.

And stay with us at Cape House Hotel & Serviced Apartments - or Kantary House.

      

Monks in Lumpini Park

Songkran is a time for family reunions, visits to temples and spring housecleaning – and the celebration of the traditional Thai New Year and lasts several days.

During the festival, revellers participate in traditional water pouring, which varies from a gentle pour into the cupped hands, to a full body splash! The symbolism of the water is important because it represents the cleansing of all the misfortunes in the previous year and a new beginning for the New Year.

There are many images of Songkran and in Lumpini Park recently there were some monks from the E-Sarn province to mark the coming of the Songkran Festival.

But here there was no water throwing - monks were there talking to local people about the on coming celebrations.

Some of the people came in traditional Thai dress and then they offered sticky rice to the monks.

      

Making a Splash with Songkran (The Thai New Year)

Once upon a time, the gentle pouring of blessed water over the hands or feet of one’s elders and other revered persons during the Thai New Year was the routine which has now evolved or degenerated into “The Biggest Water Fight in the World!”  

At Cape Panwa Hotel, we like to remember and honour the roots of Songkran, so we arrange for our guests to visit a local Buddhist Temple where gifts can be given and offerings made. The ambiance is quite special with people honouring their parents and other elders. Wais are made, gifts are shared, and people receive blessings for the New Year. It is a wonderful setting to experience.  

After this beginning ritual, the water fights began. As we drove through Sapan Hin, returning to the hotel, we were continually being ambushed with water thrown or sprayed by the local people. Personally, I think our driver may have known this would happen.

We returned to the Cape Panwa Hotel to tamer water fights, games, Thai dancing and other frivolities. The evening was more subdued with a Thai buffet at the iconic Panwa House , fire dancing and Thai dancing, and a sense of relaxed happiness.

Happy Songkran!