Amusements During Songkran Festival (Siam Society Article)
Songkran (สงกรานต์), or Thai New Year, is one of Thailand’s most well-known celebrations. 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. Meanwhile, the element also symbolizes purity and fertility. Thus, the presence of water in Songkran’s festivities not only refreshes the people, but also facilitates acts of good-will and respect which are central to the spirit of this celebration.
Flowers are another important component of Songkran. With pleasant colors and sweet scent, flowers are used as offerings to the Buddha, monks, elders, and spiritual forces as signs of respect and reverence. Flowers are also infused into water to create pleasant smell. Flower-infused water are used in both religious/spiritual activities as well as amusements during Songkran.
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Songkran has gone through changes throughout the ages. Today, we bring you back in time to examine an amusing activity that was practiced in Songkran of the olden days. This amusement was a playful act between man and woman, and featured flowers as its important element.
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.
