Water splash festival in 3 Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand welcomes the New Year. It is meant to swept away the fatigue, sorrows, wickedness in the old year, bringing life to life, sprouting buds, warm and happy for all things in the new year. People splash water into the monks to pay homage. Children do it with adults to wish they live long. Friends do it to each other to send good wishes. And whoever do it much will be more fortunate.
While taking place at the same time, bring the same meaning but Water Festival in each country has its own name and custom very bold culture each region.
Bunpimay in Laos
On this occasion, the Lao people gathered to pay respects to the Buddha, bathed in water, scented lectures, and splash the monks, pagodas and trees around the temple. In addition, Laotian people flush water into houses, tools and livestock to wash away bad things, sickness and wish a good and healthy new year.
In addition to water rituals, the Lao have a rather unique custom that is tying the wrist. They tie colored threads to send wishes and health to the person tied. This custom is as simple as it deeply reflects the gentleness of the Lao people. They never pray for themselves but pray for others, because when they do something good for others, happiness will come to them.
Plumeria flowers and yellow flowers are two indispensable flowers in the water splash festival of the Lao. People usually flower Plumeria into neck bracelets or put on hair and hang gold flowers in the house or car on New Year’s occasion to pray for good luck.
Chol Chnam Thmay in Cambodia
Cambodian Chol Chnam Thmay Festival also takes place at the same time with Laos, April 13-15 each year. Water splash festival is a chance for Cambodian people to turn to the Buddha and celebrate the New Year. These days, everywhere are decorated with bright flowers, especially the temple, the road leading to the Royal Palace.
On the first day of the year, Cambodian people wore beautiful clothes, went to Buddhist shrines and performed rituals for the monks in the temple to show their respect and peace to the whole family. The Buddhists also splash water on the statue of the Buddha and senior monks in the temple with fragrant water to pay homage. Then, people from old to young children happily join water splash festival. Cambodians also organize folk games, sing and dance traditional Apsara dances in squirrels.
Like the Lao people, Cambodia also has a custom of sand mountains. They make sand into 8 or 4 small mountains in the direction and a large mountain in the center, symbolizing the universe to pray for good winds, happy bridge for everyone. In some areas, Cambodians replace sand with rice, bread or fruit.
Songkran in Thailand
Along with the rituals of reverence for the Buddha, bold cultural traditions, Songkran Festival of Thailand festival is extremely fun with contests, interesting events in a row. For three days, it attracted millions of visitors.
At the beginning of the new year, the Thai people came to the temples, poured fragrant water on the Buddha statue and offered prayers to the family. Like the Lao and Cambodians, the Thai people are also drawn to the river or the temple grounds on the occasion, each setting up sand pagodas. This Thai custom carries a deep Buddhist philosophy, a grain of sand symbolizing a prayer that erases sin, saves a soul.
If in Cambodia, the use of water gun is considered not suitable with the moral tradition, in Thailand people can relentlessly use water guns, even throwing water balls to contribute to the festival. Water festival in Thailand is always attended by many visitors. Those who are not of the same religion, skin color, ethnicity also splash water splash together, tighten more affection and friendship.
Beside the festive Water Festival, Thailand also hosts the Miss Songkran Beauty Contest. In recent years, transsexual beauties are allowed to participate in this competition.
