Songkran 2021: What Are The Significance Of The Iconic Water-Splashing Festival Of Thailand?

People throughout the world follow different faiths have different roots, cultures and belong to different regions and they are bound to a different set of beliefs. They follow their traditions and cultures and they have their set of festivals and occasions which are of great importance to them. Festivals in simple terms are certain occasions that mark something or some important event to a certain set of people, these festivals can be of cultural, religious, national, or traditional importance. People celebrate, enjoy together with their friends, relatives, and friends, do charity, follow their traditions, pay homage, gift each other, make good food, and thank their nation, protectors, god, and other supernatural forces which have blessed their lives.

Different festivals also celebrate different themes such as love, patriotism, sacrifice, pride, gratefulness, faith, victory, new beginnings, and many more. Most of the festivals throughout the world are some special occasions which bring positive times for people and bring them together. People, who are away from home, return to their houses to celebrate the festival along with their family, they clean their houses, make preparation together and meet their relatives, friends, and neighbors; this brings them close and strengthens their bond. The occasions are auspicious for all the people whether kids or adults and it brings joy to all the age groups.

What is Songkran Festival and why is it celebrated?

Thailand is a great place and one of the most popular travel destinations in Asia, the country celebrates the festival named Songkran which is also known as the Thai new year, this festival is celebrated as the Thai people follow the Buddhist calendar, and the festival is considered to be the biggest festival of Thailand. The country celebrates it with great zeal and zest and it is a total fun-filled experience for the locals as well as tourists who visit the country during this festival, as it is quite popular as the water splashing festival, people have water fights through squirt guns, pool parties, throw water balloons, splash water on each other with buckets on each other and the festival is mostly all about having fun and being merry.

How is the Songkran Festival celebrated in Thailand?

The festival of Songkran is of utmost importance and is too auspicious for the people of Thailand and some of the important themes, celebrations, and festivities of Songkran are described below:

1. The Songkran festival or the water festival involves lots and lots of fun, presenting offerings to monks, paying respect to elders and gaining good wishes in return, releasing birds and fishes, and most importantly, splashing water on each other. It is believed that doing well during the beginning brings prosperity and positivity for the whole of the year.

2. In many parts of Thailand, the images of Lord Buddha are paraded from street to street, and other people shower them with water. The young people in the families, pay gratitude to the elders in return for all they have done for them, they perform a sacred ritual in which they pour scented water on their hands and also gift them with new clothes and other gifts which they desire.

3. The people in Thailand mix fragrance in the water and pour it on the Buddha idols and images. People also pour water on Buddhist monks which is a traditional ritual among the locals. This tradition has been followed for generations and it is believed to bring good luck to people as the chief monk grants blessings to all the people who took part in the bathing ritual.

4. All the houses are cleaned by the people before the day of New Year in order to repel all the bad luck and bring in positive vibes and prosperity. The Songkran Festival is a period when Thai people splash water on themselves, which they believe will cause plenty of rainfall in the coming year. Water is used to cleanse themselves of those bad things and also a symbol of fertility.

5. In several cities across the country, locals celebrate the Songkran festival by splashing water over themselves with a word of blessing. Most young Thai people use pump-action water guns and pump buckets to soak themselves up.

What categories to shop from during Songkran Festival 2021?

During the Songkran festival, the whole of Thailand feels like a carnival, people dance, play with water, and everything seems merry, this festival is celebrated anywhere from 3 to 10 days and it is one of the best times to visit the country. Various travel and shopping merchants both offline and online website provides great sales offering biggest discounts and offers on this occasion, some of the categories from which you can save more this Songkran festival are:

1. Water Guns and Pistols

The festival is all about splashing water, people have different games such as water fights in which they splash water on each other using buckets, mugs, water balloons, and most importantly water pistols and guns. These toys are used by all whether kids or adults who participate in the activity.

Around the festival, various stores provide great offers and discounts and offer on a variety of water pistols, pump-action water guns, and other water-squirting toys of all sizes. You can simply get these toys online and join the party.

2. Home Improvement and Cleaning supplies

Cleaning and making the household better before the New Year is really important to the locals, people remove old and damaged furniture, decorations, and home decor products and bring in new items for their houses, and also they clean their houses thoroughly. This is done so that they can gain more and more good luck.

Stores provide great discounts during the sale period on furniture, wardrobe, decorative items, and cleaning essentials.

3. Electronic Appliances

Like furniture and home improvement essentials, people also remove their redundant and damaged electronic items and appliances, as during this period they can get the maximum discounts so better time to bring in a new refrigerator or a washing machine maybe when the prices are the lowest.

The online shops offer a great variety of electronic items from all the big brands and different price segments. You can get the greatest deal on any of the appliances for your home.

4. Fashion Apparel and Accessories

People need clothing for most occasions, and the Songkran festival is one of the biggest occasions for people in Thailand. People love to buy new products including clothing, footwear, and accessories during this occasion.

Moreover as per the custom people gift new clothing to their elders, and thus, they need to shop for the occasion and therefore different online stores and brands provide massive discounts on the entire fashion and footwear category.

5. Travel and Tourism :

During this festival, all the people who are away from their home return back to their hometowns to celebrate it with their families, friends, and relatives, and many of the tourists also visit the country to enjoy the festival. Various travel companies offer special packages to locations where the festival is celebrated at its best. Some of the locations where you can visit to enjoy the festivals at their best are:

• Chiang Mai: This city is much rich and vast in its traditional part as compared to Bangkok and Phuket. This place invites people who like adventures as this place will surely give you a dash of adrenaline, the night bazaar here brings you closer to Thai culture. If you have an interest in history and ancient architecture then this place has a lot to offer, it has moreover than 300 highly revered Buddhist Temples.
• Phuket: A Thai province, Phuket’s main city is also known as Phuket. This island is huge and is filled with many islands located on the western coast of the country. This island is filled with scenic beaches that feature various luxury resorts, private beach bungalows, and traditional accommodations for visitors. People who want to spend their time with leisure may even visit golf courses, historical museums, and monuments along with stylish nightclubs and shopping centers along the beaches.
• Pai: This place is situated in North Thailand, and is a picturesque town that is located in a small valley.  It is a romantic spot for couples, as this place is filled with the beauty of nature in abundance; it has lush green fields, and even holds natural therapeutic water springs, amazing waterfalls, traditional temples, and many more things. This place is best to be visited on foot or by bike as this offers the time and space to enjoy the beauty of nature. For couples who want to spend their honeymoon looking for a place which has a natural beauty all around with beautiful mountains, in nice weather then this is just the place.

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People Also Ask

When is the Songkran Festival this year?

The Songkran festival is celebrated from April 13^th to April 15^th every year this is the official New Year festival of Thailand according to the Buddhist calendar which is followed there.

What is the Thai year for 2021?

Thailand follows the Buddhist calendar and it runs 543 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar which is generally followed around the world, therefore currently the year in Thailand is 2564 BE.

What is the meaning of Songkran?

The word Songkran is derived from the ancient language Sanskrit which was spoken in the ancient period in India, the word basically means ‘passing’ and it is a festival that celebrated the passing of the previous year welcoming the New Year.

By: Vouchers Portal TH