The Meaning Of Songkran Festival
Songkran marks as Thai traditional New Year which falls on April 13 – 15 in a year. Songkran means “movement” or “changing” according to Thai astrology, the sun will move into a new sign of the Zodiac. Songkran is also known as the “Water Festival”.
Picture : http://songkran.tourismthailand.org
Water is believed to flow and wash away all bad omens. Thus, it is a time for cleaning; houses, villages, temples and spirit houses. It is a great opportunity for making merit, cleaning house, cleaning Buddha image, cleaning house spirit. It is also a special time for Thai people to have fun with their relatives and friends such as dancing, playing traditional music, playing games, and other activities during long holiday.
Songkran Festival Folk Story
There was an interesting Thai folk story connected with the Songkran Day. It tells now there once lived in a certain village a extraordinary boy by the name of Dhanapala. He was born into a very rich family, and was extremely intelligent and kindhearted.
He even knew the languages of animals and could understand the humming of bees and the songs of the birds. People had great respect for him and his fame spread far and wide until it finally reached the ears of a rather strange but powerful God. This was Kapila Brahma, the god with the four faces, who could see four directions all at once. Kapila was a conceited god. He could not bear to think that there was anyone so intelligent and kind as to command the respect of so many people. He felt that people had begun to place more faith in Dhanapala than in himself. This he did not like and would not tolerate. one day he came down from heaven and challenged Dhanapala to answer three questions: “ Where is the person’s glow in the morning ? Where is it at midday ? Where is it in the evening ? ” The stakes were high: if the boy could answer the questions, Kapila would offer his own head to him; if he could not, then he would have to give his head to Kapila as a trophy for his triumph. Dhanapala accepted the challenge and promised to find the answers in seven days. Six days passed by and Dhanapala could find on answers, but he was helped by some sympathetic deities, who transformed themselves into eagles and discussed the answers to the riddles within earshot of Dhanapala. By listening to their conversation, Dhanapala discovered the answers to Kapila’s riddles. The answer is that in the morning a person’s glow is in the face, because people always wash their faces in the morning to greet a day. During the day, when the weather is hot, people bathe themselves, splashing water over the chest, so at midday the glow is in the chest. In the evening, coming home from work, the wash their feet before going up into the house. Thus in the evening the glow is in the feet. In a more abstract but meaningful interpretation, in the morning we must put on a cheerful face, beginning the day on the right foot; during the day we must wear a brave heart to deal with the business of the day; in the evening when we come home from work we must be able to wash our feet, that is, let go off the day’s activities and great our family with a cheerful demeanor. Kapila lost the bet and was therefore compelled to cut off his head according to their agreement. Before fulfilling his promised, however, the unfortunate Brahma proclaimed:“ I am a very powerful god. If my head is dropped on the ground, the whole world will burst into flames. If my head is thrown into the ocean, the ocean will dry up immediately. And if it is thrown up into the air, there will be no rain for seven years.” To avoid this catastrophe, the god Kapila ordered his seven draughts to take turns carrying his head in a big golden bowl, each for a period of one year. So the Songkran day marked the occasion when kapila’s head changes hands – and the year changed too!
Songkran Festival Folk Story Source : http://blog.eduzones.com/yimyim/3347
Picture : http://www.watmetta.nl
Traditional Songkran Activities
Traditionally, Thai people will get up early in the morning and go to the temple to make merits by offering foods to the Buddhist monks, listen to the Dhamma Speech, released animal especially birds and fish. After that they will sprinkle scented water on the Buddha images and perform bathing ceremony to monks, and novices in the temple. The young will visit their parents and the elders to pour scented water over their elder's hands asking blessing and wish them good health, happiness, and prosperity. This tradition of paying respect, is called “Rod Nam Dam Hua”. Thai people believe that water will wash away bad luck, and splashing water over the elders, friends or anyone will give them a New Year blessing.
April 13 is marked as “The Elder Day” and April 14 is also marked as “Family Day”.
Picture : http://www.thailand-travelonline.com/
Modern Songkran Activities
Nowadays, the young people will focus on fun and water-throwing over friends and strangers rather than on the festival's spiritual and religious aspects. Splashing water will help to relieve the heat as April known as the hottest month in Thailand (temperatures might be over 40°C).
Some people will have fun on dancing, drinking, eating, playing sport, playing games.
