The word “Songkran” is from Sanskrit, meaning “movement” or “passing.” It refers to the sun’s movement from one zodiac sign to another, and thus Songkran marks the period when the sun moves from Pisces to Aries, signifying the start of the new year.
In this system, 13 April is considered the last day of the old year, known as “Wan Maha Songkran,” when the sun moves into Aries. 14 April is the day connecting the old and new years, called “Wan Nao,” and 15 April is known as “Wan Thaloeng Sok” or New Year’s Day.
Besides Thailand, other countries also celebrate Songkran as a transition into the new year, including: Laos (Lao New Year), Cambodia (Choul Chnam Thmey), Myanmar (Thingyan), Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India (Sangken), Xishuangbanna in China’s Yunnan province (Poshuijie), and Sri Lanka (Aluth Awurudda).
The core practice of the Songkran festival is to cleanse and drive away impurities and bad things from homes, temples, and public spaces. In some regions, such as the North, people take ritual baths and wash their hair on the last day of the year with Sompoi water, which is believed to help eradicate misfortune. During Songkran, monks are invited to pray and make merit for deceased relatives. People also show respect to elders and benefactors and ask for forgiveness by offering them flowers, clothes, and perfume. They express goodwill by pouring water and offering blessings to one another, in addition to holding joyful festivities.
In Northern Thailand, also known as Lanna, Songkran is called Pi Mai Mueang (the New City Year), and each day comes with specific activities:
● 13th April: Wan Sangkhan Long- This day is for cleaning the house and washing away bad things.
● 14th April: Wan Nao (the Rotten Day) – On this day, people are prohibited from doing or saying bad things. Instead, they prepare sweets to take to the temple, bring sand, and prepare offerings for the monks. This day is also sometimes called Wan Da (the Preparation Day).
● 15th April: Wan Phaya Wan – People go to the temple to make merit in the morning, bathe the Buddha image, and begin the Rod Nam Dam Hua ceremony (pouring water on and paying respect) to elders and relatives.
● 16th April: Wan Pak Pi – This is a day for making merit to send away bad fortune and to extend one’s life. It is also customary to eat dishes made from jackfruit, as it’s believed that this will support and improve one’s life.
The “Songkran in Thailand, traditional Thai New Year festival” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2023, after having been inscribed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2011
UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity refers to the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces associated that communities, groups, and in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, passed on from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature, and their history. It provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thereby promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.
The inscription of “Songkran in Thailand, Traditional Thai New Year festival” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023 marked the fourth such entry for the country. It followed Khon (2018), Thai Massage (Nuad Thai) (2019), and Nora, dance drama from Southern Thailand (2021).
ภาพจิตรกรรมฝาผนัง ประเพณีสงกรานต์-ปีใหม่เมือง ใน จ.เชียงใหม่ จากคลังภาพจิตรกรรมฝาผนัง: อู่ทอง ประศาสน์วินิจฉัย
