Songkran In Lanna 2008

The advent of summer in Thailand brings with it a blaze of color to trees and plants around the kingdom, from the yellow acacia flowers to the bright orange of the Flame of the Forest. All serving to remind us it's April, the hottest month of the year, and time for Songkran festivities to celebrate the Thai New Year, and a time for workers to leave their place of work to visit family and friends back home.

The Lanna (northern Thailand) Songkran festival is unique in Thailand, differing from other Songkran celebrations in other parts of the country. During this time of the year, the people of Lanna stop working only to celebrate what they believe are the long lasting traditions of a new year; a time to celebrate the start of the new planting season.

The word "Songkran" pronounced the Lanna way is "Sang Khan", which literally translates as "entering" or "the coming of". Songkran celebrations start during the seventh month of each northern year, and not necessarily every April 13 when Songkran is generally celebrated throughout the kingdom.

On this special day, elders of the family wear red-colored clothes. People leave their hair untied and flowing like the streams of water that go on forever. Folk set about cleaning their homes, leaving them sparkling clean and free from dust and dirt in any part of the house. Individuals wash their hair and bathe with herbs on the eve of Songkran (Nam Kha Min Som Poy), while facing in a particular direction, as a symbol of ridding themselves of all the bad things accumulated in life.

A prayer session, in which the whole family participates, is also held before statues of gods, altars adorned with offerings, flowers and all kinds of incense.

The second day of the New Year festival is also considered an auspicious day. Called "Wan Nao" (the day that will stay), it is also commonly know as "Wan Daa". Family members take pains not to speak ill of others on this day, avoiding all kinds of arguments and fights to keep bad luck from entering their lives throughout the year. Each household prepares things for merit making to ancestors and monks. Foodstuff made from glutinous rice, fruits, coconuts and shrimp are offered to the Gods.

Also on this day it is traditional to carry sand into temples to be used to build a stupa. The belief behind this tradition recognizes that people leaving a temple during the course of a year may take with them particles of temple dust. So, taking sand into the temple during Songkran atones for what they may have taken out.

The third day after Songkran is "Wan Phra Yaa Wan", or "Wan Thalueng Sok", meaning it is considered the day upon which a new century will begin. This is the traditional day for merit making by people and, among the goods offered, are both vegetarian and non-vegetarian products. Everyone pays tribute to his or her ancestors. Older family members are given lots of attention by younger folk seeking blessings from their elders.

Then, a flag donation ceremony is held during which each family donates a flag to the sand stupa built at the temple. These holy flags are considered a most revered offering to the temple. Offerings of water in bamboo stems, incense sticks and food products are given to the Boddhi tree as a symbol of respect for Buddhism. This ceremony signifies the peoples' wish to see Buddhism live forever.

On the afternoon of the same day everyone will sprinkle water on the hands of elders as a symbol of respect and to seek their blessings. During this ceremony a variety of products are offered to seniors who may include politicians, village headmen and many other kinds of people. Decorated platters of food, clothing and flowers are also offered on this occasion.

This year, the Maha Songkran celebration will begin on April 13 starting with the merit making ceremony to monks and, later in the day, everyone will get into the fun and games of splashing water on folk in the streets of Chiang Mai.

Ratchadamonen Avenue and Tha Phae Road will fill with people straining for a glimpse of the holy statues of gods and goddesses in the procession. Everyone will try to sprinkle water as a sign of paying respect to the statues.

April 14 (Wan Nao) is the day that people of Chiang Mai will become engrossed with water. No one will be able to stay away from water on this day with some traveling as far as Lamphun and Lampang to see holy processions through city streets.

On April 15, or "Wan Phra Yaa Wan", people will gather together to observe the traditional New Year respect-paying ceremony in which the governor of Chiang Mai will participate. The fist person to sprinkle water and ask for the governor's blessing will be the beauty queen of Chiang Mai. Traditional games will played in the center of the city and all kinds of food stall set up to cater to the large crowds expected to gather there.

The best thing about the Songkran celebrations is that everyone participates in a disciplined fashion, all paying respect to one another. But, for sure, you can't escape getting wet!