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Unlike other countries that celebrate the New Year at the beginning of the year, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand joyfully welcome the New Year with unique water-throwing celebrations in mid-April each year. This is the transitional period between the dry and rainy seasons. The weather in these countries is very hot and humid, so the ancients created the New Year's water-throwing festival, essentially welcoming the rain and cool water for plants and people.
The Lunar New Year in Southeast Asian countries typically falls around mid-April, the transitional period between the dry and rainy seasons.
The water-splashing festival symbolizes washing away the worries and evils of the old year, bringing new life, growth, prosperity, and happiness to all things in the new year. People splash water on monks to show respect. Young people splash water on elders to wish them long life, health, and prosperity. Friends splash water on each other to send good wishes. The more water someone splashes, the more luck they will receive.
Although the water-splashing festival in each country has its own unique characteristics, it all shares the meaning of bringing coolness and prosperity to all things. Furthermore, the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) are at the end of the dry season, so it's very hot; splashing water on oneself is believed to cool the body, refresh the spirit, and bring joy.
Songkran Water Festival in Thailand
The Songkran water festival in Thailand is dubbed the "world's biggest water gun battle." This year's festival takes place from April 13th to 15th. Besides splashing water on each other to wish for good luck, tourists also join in the water gun fight as part of the Thai New Year celebration.
The word Songkran comes from Sanskrit, meaning "the time when time shifts, the sun moves from the ecliptic to the Taurus region in the universe." During this festival, people splash water on each other and elders to show respect and wish each other good fortune. Like the Laotians and Cambodians, Thai people also flock to riverbanks or temple grounds during this time, competing to build sand temples. This Thai custom carries a deep Buddhist philosophy; a grain of sand symbolizes a prayer to atone for sins and save a soul.
The Songkran water festival in Thailand is known as the "world's biggest water gun battle."
Besides that, people also go to the temple to attend the Buddha bathing ceremony, bring fruits and vegetarian dishes to offer to the monks, and perform the animal release ceremony. Afterwards, they wish their parents and grandparents long life, and finally comes the most exciting part: sprinkling fragrant water on each other as a blessing.
Chiang Mai is considered the capital of the Songkran festival. Many traditional Thai customs are still preserved there. Due to the high density of tourists flocking to Thailand during the festival, the rate of injuries and accidents also increases. Tourists are always advised to protect themselves when participating in the festival.
The Songkran water festival, celebrating the Thai New Year, features exciting competitions and events that take place over three consecutive days, attracting millions of tourists. People of different religions, skin colors, and ethnicities enthusiastically splash water on each other, strengthening bonds of friendship and camaraderie.
The Water Festival in Thailand always attracts a large number of tourists.
Bunpimay water festival in Laos
The Laotians call the Water Festival Bunpimay. The festival usually takes place from April 14th to 16th. A unique custom in Laos is tying a thread around the wrist. During this time, visitors to a house are given a red or blue thread tied around their wrist as a wish for good luck and health. This simple custom deeply reflects the gentle nature of the Laotian people.
Laotians not only splash water on people but also on houses, religious objects, livestock, and farming tools. They believe that water helps wash away evil and disease, and brings wishes for a long, clean, and healthy life in the new year. The wetter you get, the happier you will be.
Additionally, Laotians also splash water on houses, tools, and animals to wash away evil and disease, and to wish for a good and healthy new year.
For tourists, the ancient capital of Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng are the two most popular destinations in Laos during the Water Festival. In Luang Prabang, with its many temples and popular tourist area, visitors can enjoy a distinctly festive atmosphere with many fun activities.
During this time, Laotian people also gather at temples to worship Buddha, bathe the Buddha statue with fragrant water, listen to monks preach, and then sprinkle water on the monks, the temple, and the trees around the temple. Champa flowers and golden shower trees are two indispensable flowers during the Laotian New Year. People often weave champa flowers into necklaces or wear them in their hair. They also hang golden shower trees in their homes or on their cars during the New Year to pray for good luck.
According to Lao tradition, the Bunpimay festival usually lasts for three days.
Chol Chnam Thmay, the water festival in Cambodia.
The Cambodian Chol Chnam Thmay water festival also takes place at the same time as in Laos, from April 14-16 every year. The water festival is an occasion for Cambodians to pay homage to Buddha and celebrate the new year.
On New Year's Day, Cambodians dress in their finest clothes, visit temples to worship Buddha, and offer food to the monks as a sign of respect and to pray for peace for their families. Buddhists also perform a ritual of splashing fragrant water on Buddha statues and senior monks to show their reverence. Afterwards, everyone, from the elderly to young children, splashes water on each other as a blessing for the new year. This festival features many traditional games and the Apsara folk dance.
Traditional ritual of bathing the Buddha
For the first three days of the new year, the temples along the main road leading to the Imperial Palace are brightly lit with lanterns and flowers. On New Year's Eve, people light incense and candles to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one. The second day is the ceremony of offering rice to the monks in their alms bowls to show their reverence. The third day is the bathing of the Buddha, following rituals deeply rooted in religious beliefs.
Like the Laotians, Cambodians also have the custom of building sand mounds. They build sand mounds into eight or four small mounds in different directions and a large mound in the center, symbolizing the universe, to pray for favorable weather and happiness for everyone. In some regions, Cambodians replace sand with rice, cakes, or fruit.
The water supply from tanker trucks and the large river further added to the lively and vibrant atmosphere of the ceremony.
This exciting activity attracts not only locals but also foreign tourists. Regardless of age, gender, skin color, or race, everyone joins in the fun and lively water splashing with simple tools like buckets, basins, water guns, and water balloons. In addition, the water supply from large tanker trucks further enhances the festive atmosphere.
