Thailand is a country well known for its rich cultural heritage. The country celebrates a number of festivals throughout the year. These festivals are an integral part of the rich cultural heritage of Thailand. Some of these Thai festivals are religious festivals and others are not. However, there are some festivals that have both religious and general significance. Songkran is one such festival that has both religious significance and general significance. Songkran refers to the Thai New Year which is celebrated with joy and gusto all over Thailand. The Thai New Year or Songkran is celebrated every year in the western month of April. It is celebrated from 13th of April to 15th of April.
During the Thai festival songkran a number of rituals are practiced. The most prominent among these rituals is throwing of water. During Songkran Thai people roam on the street with containers of water and drench each other. They also use water guns and water hoses to drench each other. In Songkran the Thai people visit their elders and pay respect to them, it is also a time for family gathering and parties. During Songkran the Thai people also go to a wat or Buddhist Monastery to pray for a happy and prosperous year ahead. In some cities in Thailand Buddha images from all the monasteries are paraded on the streets so that every person can throw water to them and celebrate their new year with joy and gusto.
Like any other New Year celebration, Thailand also has some common practices. A number of people in Thailand also make New Year resolutions. They also celebrate the New Year with alcohol and foods. There are some western style celebrations on Songkran in Thailand. Nowadays, Thai people eat, drink and make merry on this day. The religious aspect of this festival often remains subdued these days.
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