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Songkran is
the Buddhist Thai traditional New Year which starts on April 13 every
year and lasts for 3 days.
Songkran
festival on April 13 is Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end
of the old year, April 14 is Wan Nao which is the day after and April
15 is Wan Thaloeng Sok which the New Year begins. At this time,
people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually
return home to celebrate the festival. Thus, when the time come,
Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted city.
Songkran is a
Sanskrit word in Thai form which means the entry of the sun into any
sign of the Zodiac. But the Songkran in this particular instance is
when the sun enters the sign of Aries or the Ram. Its full name is
Maha Songkran or Major Songkran to distinguish it from the other
ones. But the people call it simply the Songkran for it is the only
one they know and in which they take interest. It is their
traditional New Year when they can enjoy their holidays to the full
with no economic hindrance. Songkran is a fixable feast on the solar
calender.
It begins on
the 13th April and ends on the 15th April, but occasionally in
certain years on the 16th April. The Songkran is in fact the
celebration of the vernal equinox similar to those of the Indian Holi
Festival, the Chinese Ching Ming, and the Christian Festival of
Easter. The beginning of spring when the sun crosses the equator is
now on the 21st of March which is due to the precession of the
equinox. The Songkran Festival is in a certain sense like April
Fool's Day, when the maids of the village play pranks on any gallant
who happens to pass by their way. He will be caught and bound by the
united strength of the maids and they will daub him with blacking.
It is also
celebrated all over the world and the splashing or throwing of water
is often a central feature. In Britain,Thai restaurants all over the
country are planning special buffets and celebrations during the Thai holiday.
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