What is Songkran Festival

Songkran is a water festival. Songkran is a traditional festival in Thailand and Laos, also known as the Water Festival, a three-day festival held annually from April 13 to 15 of the Gregorian calendar. April 13 every year is the Thai New Year, 13 to 15 for three consecutive days is called Songkran, is Thailand's most lively and grandest festival of the year, as China's Spring Festival.

Songkran Legend

Legend I

Songkran is said to have originated from a Hindu Brahmanical ritual, where the faithful have a religious day every year to go to the river to take a bath and wash away the sins of the body. For those who cannot go to the river because of old age or disability, their family members or close friends have to pick the water back for them and splash them to wash away their sins.

Legend II

Legend has it that a few days before the Songkran festival every year, the great god Diretian descended on the people to ask them questions, sometimes with weapons in his hands, sometimes with torches, and sometimes with jugs of water. People rely on these weapons, torches and kettles to predict the year's harvest. Weapons foretold war, torches foretold the early season of famine, and kettles foretold abundant rains. When the Brahmin lord announced the prediction of the year's harvest, people began to pour water as a sign of helping the sky to rain.