Thailand, Myanmar new year celebrations soaked in tradition
In Thailand and Myanmar, the Buddhist New Year is marked with the ritual splashing of water and huge public water fights.
Cooling respite
Thailand's traditional new year festival, Songkran, kicked off on Monday with boisterous water fights. Cities are transformed into party zones during the festivities, which run from April 13 to 15. Loud party music blares from speakers as people splash each other — a welcome respite from the heat, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) amid high humidity.
To new beginnings!
It's no surprise that Songkran is also known as the Water Festival. Brightly colored water pistols, touted on every street corner, are an indispensable part of the festivities. Songkran is the most important festival of the year in the Southeast Asian region and, according to the Buddhist calendar, it symbolizes the beginning of a new year.
Curfew tames the party
Hoses, water pistols, sprinklers and buckets: anything that moves gets doused. This year, however, the celebrations will be more restrained. The Thai government has imposed an alcohol ban and a 10 p.m. curfew in Bangkok's party zones to prevent the wild revelry from getting out of hand.
Water fights with elephants
In the former Thai capital, Ayutthaya, elephants traditionally participate in the water fights. Songkran usually attracts floods of tourists from around the world, but this year tour operators reported cancellations amid sharply rising travel costs as a result of the energy crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East.
Lively street festival
The energy crisis has also meant long lines at gas stations. The Thai government has announced fuel rationing — but only for the days after Songkran, so as not to disrupt travel during the holiday. Meanwhile, people aren't letting the shortages dampen their festive spirit.
Traditional Thingyan
Beyond Thailand, the celebrations take place in several countries in the region. These dancers are part of a parade in Yangon, Myanmar's former capital. There, the Buddhist New Year is called Thingyan, while in Cambodia it's known as Chaul Chnam Thmey. Similar festivals, lasting several days, also exist in Laos and Sri Lanka.
Cleansing ritual
In Myanmar, too, the new year is marked by a water festival — and it usefully coincides with the peak of the hot season. The Buddhist New Year also has more serious aspects: Thingyan symbolizes the cleansing of sins and misfortunes from the past year. It is celebrated when the sun moves from the zodiac sign of Pisces into Aries.