The Water Throwing (Siam Society Article)
Water symbolizes cleansing, purity, and fertility. The element is featured in many of Thailand’s festivals and traditional practices. The most well-known is perhaps Songkran (สงกรานต์), or Thai New Year. The event is also referred to as Thailand’s “Water Festival” due to the important role that water plays in many of the festival’s activities. These include bathing of Buddha statues and water fights. In the heat of the Thai summer, water offers festival participants a cooling refuge. Songkran, however, is not the only important occasion of the Thai people that involves water.
We present to you the story of “water throwing” in Thai culture through this 1954 article by Phraya Anuman Rajadhon. Travel back in time to witness one of Thailand’s most respected cultural scholar discuss about the role of water in selected important ceremonies of the Thai people.
Author: Phya Anuman Rajathon
* This article was published in the Journal of Siam Society and is being shared on the Thailand Foundation Website with permission from The Siam Society.
