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Songkran
is a charmingly uninhibited celebration, a time
to invoke good luck (in terms of plentiful water
supply) for the coming rainy season. And in
these hot summer temperatures, what could be
more sensible than a cooling splash of water? The
tradition began, however, as a far more polite and
respectful affair.
Sczented water was
gently tipped on to the shoulder of passers-by as a new year
greeting. Later it "developed" into its present form,
especially in Chiang Mai, where bowlfuls of water are tossed
on everyone, and multi-colored plastic water guns abound. It's
a time for wearing casual, quick-drying clothes because you are
guaranteed to get wet if you venture out, and indeed, it is considered
an honor to be soaked. It's not only
human beings that get splashed.
Buddha images get their fair
share of drenching, too, although for them it's a gentler ritual. Mounted high on flower-adorned floats, the images are paraded
outside their temple homes for their annual dousing. Jasmine-scented
water is gently thrown from small cups over the images in a display
of respect and reverence.
This takes place on the second day
of Songkran, and it is accompanied by joyful dancing and drumming.
In northern provinces many wear the traditional dark blue of
the farming people to symbolize the agrarian roots of the region.
Jasmine flowers abound in the form of fragrant white garlands
and hair decoration. In Bangkok,
festivities begin with the parading of the Phra Buddha Sighing
on the grounds outside the Grand Palace. Soon everyone is wet.
Khon Kaen is another interesting place to be at this time with
its floral float processions and north-eastern folk entertainment.
Songkran is
also a time for the lovely ceremony called Rot Nam Dam Hua, in which
younger people bathe the hands of their elders in scented water and ask
forgiveness for any misdeeds. The elders respond with blessings and advice
to their juniors.
Loy
Krathong
The festival
of lights
Beneath a full
November moon, waterways and houses glow with candlelight, wishes
are made, and the sins of the year are ritually washed away.
This is the country's most picturesque celebration: Loy Krathong,
the "festival of lights".
Gates and doorways
are festooned with palm leaves and colorful paper lanterns.
The evening hours are filled with the crack and whiz of fireworks,
and every river, pond, and gully sparkles with countless tiny
points of light. People gather in their thousands beside the
khlongs and rivers. With a silent prayer they carefully place
their krathongs (banana-leaf floats) in the water and release
them to the current.
Freighted with
flowers, incense, and one or more lit candles, the floats drift
silently downstream. People watch intently, hoping that the candle
will not go out. Its flame is said to signify longevity, fulfillment of wishes and release from sins. It is a moving sight-the hopes
and dreams of an entire city drifting gently to their destination.
Loy Krathong is very much a time to reflect deeply on the mystery
of our journey through life and the joy of shared traditions. The releasing
of a krathong to the river is also a gesture of respect to the
river goddess Mae Kong Ka. It is in part a thanksgiving for her
bounty in providing water for livelihood and agriculture, and
in part a plea for forgiveness for having polluted her waters.
One of the most
significant and historic Loy Krathong celebrations in the kingdom
is held in Sukhothai, with a spectacular light-and-sound show.
In
Chiang Mai, the largest krathongs are the
decorated floats carried on trucks in procession.
Prepared by local organizations and adorned with
thousands of flowers in exquisite designs, the
colorfully lit floats form a long, glittering
parade as they make their way to the river.
Perched high in the magnificent floral displays
are beautiful women dressed in traditional
costume. The floats are later judged, and prizes
are awarded. Ayutthaya and Tak are also famed for
their elaborate Loy Krathong celebrations.
Meanwhile, up
above thousands of khom loy (floating lanterns) drift up into
the night sky. These large balloon-like lanterns are released
at temples and sometimes from private homes in the hope that
misfortune flies away with them.
Kao
Phansa
End of the
rains retreat
Months of rains
and cloudy skies have passed. Flatlands are now a tapestry of
waterlogged rice paddies, and beneath a full October moon people
celebrate the end of Buddhist lent. Special offerings of food
and other gifts are made to the monks in a typically Thai display
of pageantry and splendor.
There is every reason to celebrate. Legend has it that Lord Buddha
once retreated to heaven during the rainy months and preached to his
mother who had died seven days after his birth. After some months the
sky opened and the king of heaven, along with his angels,
constructed a triple stairway of gold, silver, and precious gems to
link his domain to earth.
Down one stairway came an escort of angels,
down another the monks
who had followed the Buddha to the heavens,
and down the center came Lord Buddha himself. At the foot he
was welcomed with great joy and
presented with food by his followers.
These days many
temple gatherings like to commemorate this legendary descent
by placing a Buddha image in a decorated cart and bringing it
ceremoniously down from a low hill. People line the route and
place
offerings of food in a large alms bowl placed before the
image. Monks
follow in procession, also with alms bowls.
The monks themselves
have effectively had three months of retreat. Forbidden from
moving far from their temple residence during the rains,
they
are encouraged to use the time to pursue their scripture studies
and meditation. The custom dates back to bygone times when roads
were virtually non-existent, and travel by foot or oxcart would
be greatly hampered in the rainy season by mud and by floods.
After the rains,
when the monks "descend" once more into their more
outward responsibilities they are presented with new robes and
other gifts in a ceremony called Thot Kathin which takes place
in the succeeding days after lent. The ceremony links the whole
country in a month of merit-making and shared support for the
temples. Much entertainment and merry-making accompany the presentations.
Music and feasting feature highly, and a procession accompanies
the kathin robes, which may be borne on a decorated cart, by
boat, or even on the back f an elephant.
Many provinces
have their own unique way of celebrating the month of Thot Kathin.
Nan province is particularly famous for its Lanna boat races,
Nakhon Phanom celebrates with intricately decorated boats each
containing lighted candles and set a drift on the Mekong River.
North easterners celebrate this time by offering decorative beeswax
creations in the form of Buddhist temples and shrines.
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