Songkran

The sun moves into Aries

Songkran comes from the Sanskrit sankranti, “passage” — the movement of the sun from one sign of the zodiac to the next. In Thailand it means the great passage from Pisces into Aries that marks the traditional start of the year. Songkran was Thailand’s official New Year until 1888; the official date then moved to 1 April, and in 1940 to 1 January. The old festival has remained a national holiday.

The celebration traditionally spans three days: Maha Songkran on 13 April, when the sun enters Aries and the old year ends; Wan Nao on 14 April, the day in between; and Wan Thaloeng Sok on 15 April, the start of the new era. In the past the royal astrologers issued a Songkran proclamation each year with their predictions.

Water and respect

Songkran falls in mid-April, after the rice harvest. UNESCO describes it as a time when people reunite with their families and pay their respects to older adults, ancestors and sacred Buddha images. Pouring water is at the heart of it, symbolising cleansing, reverence and good fortune: water is poured gently over the hands of elders and over important Buddha images, and splashed over family and friends. There are folk plays, games, music and feasting.

The festival is a time to wash away misfortune, pray for prosperity, forgive and be forgiven, and honour older people. In the cities the splashing has grown into huge public water fights, which draw visitors from around the world.

Songkran in Thailand, traditional Thai New Year festival, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List in 2023.