Songkran - Thai New Year, or How To Get Wet Fun
Today we attended an enchanting event - all Thailand, including Phuket, began to celebrate the Thai New Year, whose name is Songkran. Translated, this means «transition», and thus marks the transition to the new year according to the ancient Indian astrological calendar and the change of the current hot season to the coming rainy season. That is why it is customary to pour water on everyone on this day, this is like a call for abundant rainfall later, so that there is a good harvest of rice. But how does it all go!
No sooner had we left our gates than our neighbors were already meeting us
Neighbors gather for a fight called Songkran
Songkran - Thai New Year
Songkran - Thai New Year
What is going on here, words simply cannot convey !!! General insanity, but from a good point of view! It's a pity, it's very difficult to photograph this madness, sorry for the quality of the photo, I had to wrap the camera with cling film and save it from water in every possible way.
Our weapons in the battles of Songkran
You can try to shoot and so too
Thais and farangs, like little children, squealing and laughing, pour water on each other, who can use what they can, and cover them with talcum powder! Along the roads near Rawai Beach in Phuket, for example, huge barrels of water are placed, around them a cheerful group gathers, which, dancing and shouting, desperately pouring buckets, buckets and water pistols on everyone passing by, for which they are always abundantly rewarded with a good portion of water in return.
Songkran - Thai New Year
Songkran - Thai New Year
Songkran - Thai New Year
Pedestrians get no less
Pickup trucks with large tanks in the back drive along the roads, from where numerous wet and happy passengers draw water and water everyone in their path. Often paint is added to this water and, what is most unexpected, when you are watered - ice! When you are repeatedly doused with just warm water, suddenly getting a portion of an ice bucket is, to put it mildly, an unexpected positive shock! But because of the intense heat and increased mobility on this day, you do not have time to freeze or feel that the water flows from you all day in streams.
A very warlike girl takes her task very seriously.
Songkran - Thai New Year
Caught by surprise
Pickup attack
Sometimes watered with colored water
Many people put ice in barrels to keep the water colder and invigorating.
And some put children in barrels
The shrewd fighter: everything you need is under him!
It's funny that earlier this tradition was a little different, they just walked the streets with a bowl and modestly sprinkled a little on each passer-by. Everything progresses and develops, as practice shows.
It is believed that all these waters cleanse the soul and give the doused one good luck for the whole next year.!
Many Thais have chosen a different strategy and smear the face of everyone they meet with fragrant talcum powder, which then makes a slight chill on their cheeks. At the same time, these greasers themselves are almost half in this talcum powder, from head to waist. This custom also has an explanation - talc (and earlier it was white clay) is used as a means of hygiene, and ritual smearing and sprinkling with talc is cleansing and repelling all kinds of dirt.
They are smeared with talcum powder almost at full speed
Here they are - the same talcum smears!
Machine peeled with pink talcum powder
This car will definitely be clean and happy next year.
And the sweetest fun in all this is that when pouring water over your collar or smearing with talcum powder, Thais smile so sincerely and often ask for forgiveness or wish Happy Songkran!
So, gently and saying, Happy Songkran, smear talcum powder on their cheeks
No one will pass unnoticed and uncovered
In the celebration, slightly or not slightly tipsy farangs take an active part, dancing destructively to the music. Their main difference is that they do not pour water as carefully as the Thais, but beat it right in the face, which is not always pleasant to bikers passing by them - it is so very easy to lose control.
Farangs perceive Songkran as their holiday
Songkran - Thai New Year
It is very difficult not to lose control when they hit you with ice water
Or such a tub of cold water invigorates and disorients
If you're tired of being wet all the time
In general, this is a dangerous action. We saw one injured Thai, who, apparently, after another portion of water lost control and crashed into a car. Thank God, he's alive, but he suffered seriously.
Oleg and I made it easier, next to each of these pouring points, we stopped and, with our mutual joy and theirs, let them pour all the prepared water on ourselves and turned our cheeks for talcum powder, and then with peace of mind drove to the next water treatment point.
As soon as he stopped, they immediately flew up
Don't drive by girls!
And now we know that water pistols are bullshit! Thin streams are not scary! And he is cool who has a bucket! :)
In general, we were surprised to notice that not all Thais are amused by this, and there are individuals who travel with sour or even displeased faces, which is surprising. But there are not so many of them.
Dissatisfied Thais are rare
Sometimes, this discontent is understandable
The Thai New Year is celebrated not for 10 days, as we have, but for only three (from April 12), and the new year itself begins on April 15, and watering usually lasts from April 13 to April 15, but in some places they can continue until 17 or even April 19. This, by the way, must be borne in mind when you, no longer suspecting anything, leave the house with unprotected documents or wallet..
We returned home only in the evening, wet, smeared with talcum powder and received a lethal dose of positive! That's what I understand - a holiday! Happy New Year everyone! Savat di Songkran! ??????????????!
Songkran - Thai New Year
Replenishment - he was doused with this
Dancing in the back of a pickup truck
Songkran - Thai New Year
Wet streets, wet people, wet New Year
Ladyboy celebrates in full!
Poor waiters maneuver between water shots
Tired after a tumultuous celebration
Sawasdee Songkran! Sawasdee Pi mai!
Drunk Thais climb to hug and confess their love!
P.S. An article from Phuket Songkran 2011 :) Since then, little has changed.