Songkran (Thailand)
Updated: Wikipedia source
Thai New Year or Songkran (Thai: เทศกาลสงกรานต์, pronounced [tʰêːt.sā.kāːn sǒŋ.krāːn]), also known as Songkran Festival or Songkran Splendours, is the Thai New Year's national holiday. Songkran is on 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14 to 15 April. In 2018 the Thai cabinet extended the festival nationwide to seven days, 9–16 April, to enable citizens to travel home for the holiday. In 2019, the holiday was observed from 9–16 April as 13 April fell on a Saturday. In 2024, Songkran was extended to span nearly the entire month, running from April 1 to April 21, instead of the traditional three-day celebration. The festival aligns with the New Year observed in many Southeast and South Asian cultures, following the Theravada Buddhist calendar, and coincides with Hindu calendar celebrations such as Bihu, Pohela Boishakh, Pana Sankranti, Tamil Puthandu, Vishu, Vaisakhi. The New Year also takes place at around the same time as the New Year celebrations of many regions of South Asia like China (Dai people of Yunnan Province), India, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. In Thailand, New Year is now officially celebrated 1 January. Songkran was the official New Year until 1888, when it was switched to a fixed date of 1 April. In 1940, the date was shifted to 1 January. The traditional Thai New Year Songkran became a national holiday. Celebrations are famous for the public water fights framed as ritual cleansing. This has become quite popular among Thais and foreigners.