Maintaining and preserving cultural traditions during the annual Songkran water festival in Thailand

In Thailand, every April, the elderly and children often take to the streets, equipped with plastic guns and buckets of water, to participate in water splashing activities that last for hours from morning to night.

Not just a festival, Songkran also contains unique cultural traditions and April becomes a great time for tourists to visit.

Songkran celebrations also include parades, beauty pageants and musical performances. Photo: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters

Songkran Festival

Songkran marks the beginning of the traditional New Year in Thailand and is usually celebrated from April 13-15, although some cities extend it for a few days.

In 2023, UNESCO added Songkran to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, marking the traditional start of Thailand's traditional New Year celebration.

"Water splashing is an important activity during Songkran, symbolizing purification, respect and good luck. Other activities include bathing Buddha statues, splashing water on family and friends, folk plays, games, music and parties," UNESCO wrote.

Songkran has become a global phenomenon in recent decades, with massive water fights held on closed city streets everywhere from Khao San Road and Silom Road in Bangkok to Chiang Mai's historic Old City.

Pipad Krajaejun, a history lecturer at Thammasat University in Bangkok, said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly when water fights became an important part of the festival.

"According to many elders, water fights have been taking place in many parts of Thailand for the past 60-70 years," said Pipad Krajaejun.

Highlighting cultural identity from Songkran festival

Today, Songkran festivals take place across the country from cities, towns to villages of Thailand.

Some events are organized by local government agencies, while many businesses including amusement parks, hotels, restaurants and bars also organize their own Songkran-themed parties.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has listed a number of celebrations taking place across the country, but for those looking to get more involved in the cultural experience, Bangkok is emerging as a top destination for Songkran-loving tourists this year.

The 2024 Maha Songkran World Water Festival will open from April 11-15 in the city's ancient historical center, around Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue and Sanam Luang, near famous landmarks such as the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Among the highlights of the festival is the Maha Songkran Parade, which will take place on April 11.

Combining tradition and modernity

The Songkran festival tradition still maintains two main rituals to this day. On the first day of the new year, April 13, the Song Nam Phra ritual involves sprinkling scented water on the sacred Buddha statues of a temple.

“However, each region of Thailand has slightly different customs. For example, in northern Thailand, people use naga water cannons to sprinkle water on Buddha statues instead of directly,” said Pipad Krajaejun.

The second tradition (called Rot Nam Dam Hua) is to sprinkle perfume on the hands of the elders in the family.

Today, visitors will also see Buddha statues placed in businesses, even in places like shopping malls, accompanied by small silver cups floating in pools of fragrant water.

Mr Pipad said the practice of performing the Song Nam Phra ritual at shopping malls may have originated in the 1970s or 1980s.

“Song Nam Phra can be seen as a leisure activity because shopping malls are mainly a destination for urban people and families. In addition, shopping malls provide air conditioning to encourage more people to go inside rather than visit temples,” said Mr. Pipad.

Mango sticky rice. Photo: John S Lander/LightRocket/Getty Images

Great Holiday Food

As Songkran is a family-friendly holiday, food plays a big part. Thailand is known for its regional culinary diversity, with each province having its own culinary traditions but also some special dishes that are particularly popular during the summer months.

Among these is a delicacy called “khao chae,” which translates to “rice soaked in water.” These refreshing dishes are served during the summer months, usually from late March to May.

Because of the elaborate and meticulous preparation process, Khao-Chae is also known as "divine food". And of course we cannot forget the mango sticky rice that is everywhere in Thailand, a dish loved by tourists from the streets to high-end Thai restaurants.

Although mango sticky rice is available year-round, it is especially popular during the summer months when the mangoes are in season. If you don’t mind the crowds, K. Panich is a fun option in Bangkok that has been serving mango sticky rice for nearly 100 years./.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/duy-tri-va-bao-ton-truyen-thong-van-hoa-trong-le-hoi-te-nuoc-songkran-hang-nam-o-thai-lan-20240408150203096.htm