Of birthdays and blessings in Thailand's New Year
Boiling hot. Humidity is high. But that does not derail the whole of Thailand to celebrate my birthday. Well, firstly, their four to five day new year celebration. My family went around with our landlord's family for a water fight party in the whole of Chiang Mai. Everyone goes home soaking wet and laughing. The only way to escape it is to stay home. It lasts until tomorrow or the 16th.
It's just like the San Juan fiesta in the Philippines only of course the San Juan "wetting" of people only happens in San Juan. By the time you get to the office you are already boiling mad because not everyone is wet, only those passing through San Juan gets wet. But here in Chiang Mai, there is no escape, no mercy especially from those just waiting on the side of the road with small or big buckets ready for splashing. Maybe that's why also the four-day splashing is timed well with a four-day holiday. Well, of course, it is New Year.
It started out as a blessing of scented water sprinkled on the buddha. But the Thais have made it to full-blast fun that no one is allowed to be angry or mad. Even if you get slapped with a small bucket of water. You expect it. You grin and try to fight back. And no one gets spared. That's the fun part of it.
On the second day of the festivities where we waited at Nawarat bridge for the procession of the buddhas from different temples to sprinkle water, the street, soaking wet, was pretty clean. there were very minimal plastics or trash lying around the main roads. That's a good way of cleansing not just the body, the soul, the mind but also your immediate surroundings.
And the blessings are shared by pouring water over the shoulder. I have noticed they usually pour water on the right shoulder though I haven't researched enough if it really should be on the right or any shoulder. The people were sharing their scented water to those that have run out. Even the floats of the buddhas give out scented water, which is recycled from the water sprinkled on the floats. Of course some were on sale, but an atmosphere of sharing and fun and good vibes permeated despite the heat of the afternoon.
Blessing, cleansing and sharing. Goodwill all around. This is what the ritual meant for me, on my birthday. Unfortunately I don't have pictures because Nalini, a four-year veteran of Songkran festival warned us not to bring anything because everything would be soaked. True enough, though some have risked it. I didn't. I wasn't sure what to expect. Now I know and I will be ready.
It's just like the San Juan fiesta in the Philippines only of course the San Juan "wetting" of people only happens in San Juan. By the time you get to the office you are already boiling mad because not everyone is wet, only those passing through San Juan gets wet. But here in Chiang Mai, there is no escape, no mercy especially from those just waiting on the side of the road with small or big buckets ready for splashing. Maybe that's why also the four-day splashing is timed well with a four-day holiday. Well, of course, it is New Year.
It started out as a blessing of scented water sprinkled on the buddha. But the Thais have made it to full-blast fun that no one is allowed to be angry or mad. Even if you get slapped with a small bucket of water. You expect it. You grin and try to fight back. And no one gets spared. That's the fun part of it.
On the second day of the festivities where we waited at Nawarat bridge for the procession of the buddhas from different temples to sprinkle water, the street, soaking wet, was pretty clean. there were very minimal plastics or trash lying around the main roads. That's a good way of cleansing not just the body, the soul, the mind but also your immediate surroundings.
And the blessings are shared by pouring water over the shoulder. I have noticed they usually pour water on the right shoulder though I haven't researched enough if it really should be on the right or any shoulder. The people were sharing their scented water to those that have run out. Even the floats of the buddhas give out scented water, which is recycled from the water sprinkled on the floats. Of course some were on sale, but an atmosphere of sharing and fun and good vibes permeated despite the heat of the afternoon.
Blessing, cleansing and sharing. Goodwill all around. This is what the ritual meant for me, on my birthday. Unfortunately I don't have pictures because Nalini, a four-year veteran of Songkran festival warned us not to bring anything because everything would be soaked. True enough, though some have risked it. I didn't. I wasn't sure what to expect. Now I know and I will be ready.
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