POSTCARD #201: CHIANG MAI: Impossible to not notice Songkran here, Thailand’s New Year festival, “sawat deepee mai”, Songkran begins today, 13 April 2016, in the Buddhist/ Hindu solar calendar. It’s also New Years day in many calendars of South and South East Asia. Songkran is the water festival, the act of pouring water is a blessing and good wishes. Before the festival begins, everything old is got rid of or it will bring the owner bad luck. Time to let go of bad stuff, ‘should auld acquaintance be forgot for the sake of auld lang syne.’ Wash away misfortunes in the past year, and welcome in the new year and a fresh start.
Thai people usually try to go back home and see their parents or their old relatives at Songkran. A tradition of bathing elders and asking for their blessing is part of the festival. Now I’m seen as a harmless old guy so I don’t get water thrown at me; a very small amount of blessed water is gently poured on my shoulder, or I sometimes get to sprinkle jasmine flower soaked water on the youngers who kneel and pray for fortunate circumstances in the coming year. All Thais go to temple in the morning and make merit by either giving alms to the monks or releasing birds, fishes or turtles from captivity – good deeds and the karma of it all.
But it’s mostly about water and the release from hot summer days. For young Thais and foreign tourists visiting here it’s a joyful water-throwing free-for-all. The streets are running with water to the extent that the Chiang Mai Government this year have started a small campaign to persuade the public it’s necessary to save on water. But not taken too seriously.
It’s also a time when people get reckless, accidents on the road the Bangkok Post today reports that so far, police arrested 20,094 people for drink-driving and 549 vehicles were impounded at checkpoints from 9 – 12 April. Owners of the impounded vehicles, 439 motorcycles and 110 cars, will be allowed to pick up their vehicles at police stations after April 17 when Songkran ends.
dhamma footsteps 
While it looks like a fun festival, I do like the idea of getting rid of everything old and starting the new year without the baggage.
Yes, as you find on these old calendar dates, there is something meaningful underlying it all…
There always is, even if we’ve lost sight of the real meaning.
Here in the East they go through the motions; ceremonies and following things according to the ancient ways, but I wonder how much of it consciously (or even unconsciously) is an entering into the real meaning – maybe for a few individuals…
That is the problem when the focus shifts from the spirit to the form of ritual. Many seem to believe that the form is important and enough.
Yes ‘form and formlessness’ I recognize from Buddhist scripture. BTW just noticed in Wiki there’s a ref to Lady Day in England sharing a link with the Punjabi ‘Vaisakhi’ which in turn is celebrated on Songkran day in Thailand.
So Lady Day would have been the new year celebration here for a long time. Symbolically that makes more sense than the current date.
I read something somewhere about a significant seasonal change in South and South East Asia at the same time of the year that must have been the marker for the new cycle – found in astrology too but I don’t know much about that…
I’m not up on astrology either… The bear would know, but it might take him five years to tell you about it 😉
Hmmm… good thing it’s not urgent
That is the urgent timetable… the rest takes longer 😉
🙂
Happy New Year!
Paz
Thanks for this greeting Paz, it’s a totally quiet morning here across the city; morning after a night before.
Ah yes, the water. I couldn’t escape the deluge yesterday in sleepy little Ranong. They love dowsing the foreigners. Luckily plastic bags are so easy to come by in Thailand to protect our precious gadgets. Thanks
Thanks Rich, I’m in Delhi now and Songkran is slipping into the past again for another year. I’ve been in Ranong on the way to Koh Samet. There’s a Wat I’d like to visit near Ranonong, was invited by an English-speaking monk I met in Switzerland. One of these days I’ll go and see where the place is…
I was this thinking about the shortage of water as I read. That’s a lot of people arrested.
Well it’s a bit reckless, a huge party really is what it is, drink driving is the reckless part. How to introduce restrictions in a party environment, that’s the difficuty
Looks like great fun and a perfect time to get rid of the old, but I wonder about the waste of water. Perhaps there is plenty to cover the festival.
Water is not an issue in Chiang Mai as it is in other parts of Thailand but you’re right, an awareness of the wastage is important
Great photos, especially the first one. Looks and sounds good about throwing out the old and making room for new and, hopefully, better. I just feel uncomfortable about the drunkenness of these New Year’s celebrations! It sort of ruins things.