Songkran festival originates from the Dtai people who still live in Northern Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The word Songkran originates from the Pali language of the Buddhist scriptures. In Pali the word is Sankhara. In Sanskrit it is called Sankranti, which was later changed to Sangkran (Thai), and later to Songgran (Thai pronunciation) and Songkran(Thai spelling). It refers to the movement of the sun from one zodiac to another (Aries to Taurus).
The festival stretches over 4 days:
April 13th – Wan Sangkhan Long: People clean their houses and prepare for the new year festival on this day.
April 14th – Wan Nao: On Wan Nao people prepare cooked and preserved food to be used in Buddhist merit making on the next day.
April 15th – Wan Payawan: On this, the first day of the new year, people gathered at the wat in the early morning to offer the food prepared the previous day, fruit, new robes, and other goods to the monks. Traditionally this was the day when subdued water play started, but this has devolved to the exuberant water throwing that stretches over the four days of the festival.
April 16th – Wan Park Bpee: On this day people pay respect to their ancestors, elders, or people worthy of respect due to advanced age or position. Scented water is poured over the hands of the individuals being paid respect who in turn bless the participants in the ceremony.
In the past people might sprinkle a bit of scented water on your shoulder to wish you a happy new year, but this has deteriorated to getting dowsed with a bucket of ice water by an individual on the back of a moving pickup truck.
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