Explaination of Songkran QUOTED from a local site

I loved this explaination...the ting-glish is classic :)

What does Songkarn means? How is it importance? You can find out the one of festival that you will never forget from this article.


Songkarn festival or water throwing festival is the long holiday for Thais and it is the one of the most important festival. The word "Songkarn" comes from Sanskrit language that means passing or approaching. This festival isn't only the funny celebrating but also the ceremony by Buddhism religion too. Family will seem to be appreciated in this period, especially the old people because their children will going back to their hometown and do greeting with their older relatives.

Songkarn period can separate into three days and each day has their own specific name and activities that are different. April 13th is called "Songkarn day", April 14th is called "Nao day" or the day on which the sun travels between Pieces and Arise marking the old Thai New Year's Eve and April 15th the last day of this festival is called "Thai New Year's Day".

For the Activities, there are many kind of playing. The one that is well-known in worldwide is water throwing activity, this is the funniest activity at all in my opinion, people will go to the downtown of their own city for playing throwing water and painting face by chalk powder to the others even they are stranger. This activity will make people knows each other, sometimes getting a couple in this activity is possible.

Another traditional activity that the one of Thai people will do by basically day, is doing the good thing or getting merit by offering food to the monk but it is different from the ordinary day because they will go to the temple and it will have many activities over there such as Pouring scented water over Buddha image, Building the sand pagodas and Playing some Thai traditional plays that won't be seen in ordinary day and there will have some free Thai food for share with people who comes join this ceremony.


This is just example of Songkarn festival activity, there will have more over that you couldn't imagine. You can looking for more information about Songkarn festival and the traditional places that so famous for Songkarn festival by searching in TAT website but it will make you more convenience if you choose some packages that was created by Thai-tourism agency that will serve suitable package for your life style.

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