Sawadee Ka from Chiang Mai!
I’m lucky enough to be in Thailand for Songkran, the Thai/Buddhist New Year, one of the most significant festivals of the year.
Songkran is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘astrological passage’ and refers to the orbit of the sun moving into Aries. This fun-filled festival (from April 13-15) is a three-day affair and one of the best places to celebrate is in heart of Chiang Mai with decorative floats, traditional music and dancing.
As we discovered, the highlight of the festival is the water throwing! Historically, the idea was to sprinkle Buddha statues with holy water. The underlying significance of Songkran is cleansing and purification – purging misfortune from the old year so you can start the New Year afresh.
Nowadays, it has become one giant water fight! Thankfully, April is the most humid month of the year in Thailand and so a little water helps you beat the heat. However, when someone aims a high-power water gun or hose straight at you, it becomes something else! There’s no escaping the water in the city centre – kids will happily spray their water guns from their trucks, and a sweet looking Thai girl poured a bucket of water over me! This festival embodies the Thai attitude of sanuk – a sense of fun and revelry.
Apart from marking a new beginning, Songkran is also a time for thanksgiving. I’m thankful that this cleansing ritual came to an end during the evening. We enjoyed dinner at a vibrant local restaurant called Khum Khantoke with traditional Thai dancing and live music. We then checked out the Night Market – amongst the usual tourist tat, there are some amazingly good bargains including quality silk scarfs, jasmine essential oil and cute Buddha trinkets.
Sawasdee Pee Mai Muang (Happy Thai New Year!)
Love,
Where to stay: Siripanna Villa Resort & Spa is a reasonably-priced rustic chic boutique hotel designed with the flow of positive energy in mind. It is situated five minutes from the heart of Chiang Mai city centre. There’s a spa (with excellent Thai therapists) a swimming pool, Thai cooking classes and meditation sessions.
