Songkran Festival - the Thai New Year

Songkran Festival - The Thai New Year

I like January because there is a continuation of another long New Year holiday after the end of the earlier long Christmas holiday. I also like February because there is a long Chinese New Year holiday and the sweet Valentine day. Then come April that I like too for it is Songkran Festival or Thai New Year.

Songkran is the Thai New Year, a time for the family members to reunite and spend some precious time together. During this time, workers who come from the provinces to work in the capital city of Bangkok metropolis will return home to celebrate. The millions worker will take away with them traffic jam and pollution. Therefore the bustling town will be deserted leaving Bangkok a nice and quiet place to live for a few days.

Songkran Festival falls on April 13^{th -} 15^th each year. This year (2008), the auspicious day will be on Sunday - Tuesday. Holidays will start from Saturday 12^th to end on Thursday 16^th, or a total of five days. There will be celebration throughout the Kingdom.

The term "Songkran" is Thai from the original Sanskrit language which means "Transfer", "Movement", or "Changing position". This is because it is the time the Sun changes it's zodiac position from the twelfth sign of Zodiac Pisces to the first sign of Zodiac Aries, hence a New Solar Year. Although the Thai people officially changed the New Year to January 1 in 1940 to coincide with the Western business world, the traditional Songkran Festival is still celebrated as a national holiday.

The first Songkran day will be on Sunday April 13^th, which is "Sang Karn Long Day" or the passing day of the old year. On this day people will clean their home, their bodies and wear new cloths.

The next day will be Monday April 14^th, called "Nao Day" or "Da Day" which means the preparation of various auspicious ceremonies. Food and basic necessities will be prepared on this day to offer to monks and give to friends and relatives on the New Year day.