Songkran
Eight-year-old gives us a child’s perspective of Thailand’s Songkran fun.
We were lucky to be in Phuket in April for Thailand’s New Year festival, Songkran. My sister and I were excited because we’d heard how the whole country erupts into an epic water fight. Our friends told us to stock up on water pistols so we went to a local shop and bought the biggest ones we could find. Loads of them! They only cost a few dollars so it was hard to resist going overboard.
Before Mum would let us join the water fight she wanted us to learn a bit about the festival’s cultural meaning. So, on the morning of Songkran, we headed to Wat Chalong. We learned that it was all about washing away bad luck for the New Year. I got to pour water and petals over the temple’s Buddhas, and more into the cupped hands of some monks and elders in exchange for blessings. I felt lucky.
There was music, dancing and loads of yummy food and everyone, including me, was wearing flower shirts so it was very colourful. Though we were having heaps of fun, our friends suggested we head back to Phuket Old Town so we could get on with the water fight. We didn’t argue.
It was on as soon as we arrived. Water was flying through the air by the bucketful. Some people were chucking buckets of freezing iced water at motorcyclists and trucks packed with people sprayed us with water as they passed. Other people rubbed powder on our cheeks as a sign of protection. By the end of it we were soaked and covered in powder. It was epic.
I think families should definitely go to Thailand for Songkran as long as they’re prepared to get very wet.