Songkran

The origins of Songkran date back nearly a thousand years. The ancestors of the Thais in China's Yunnan Province would celebrate the start of a new farming cycle during the fifth full moon of the lunar calendar. Songkran always falls sometime between 10th April and 18th April.

The Water Festival, which is a part of Songkran, is a symbol of cleansing and renewal; centuries ago the Thai people would delicately sprinkle scented water from silver bowls onto the hands of the elders in their families. They would attend sermons and would gently bathe the Buddha images in the temples which would also be spring-cleaned.

The younger members of the family would tie strings around the wrists of elders while wishing them luck. If you had enough family members you could end up with an arm covered with string, which you would have to leave on until they fell off of their own accord.

Food has also traditionally played a large part in the festival, with street vendors selling all sorts of Thai delicacies, such as satay sticks, steaming bowls of hot and sour soup, bags of fresh fruits including mangoes, paw paws and pineapples, and sweet pancakes.

Adapted from BBC Online, September 2006

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