Thai New Year, Songkran or Water Festival. Story Within.

Thai New Year, Songkran or Water Festival. Story Within.

This Friday the 13th marks Songkran (The Thais New Year) or the Water Festival in Thailand.
Also celebrated in India, Cambodia, Burma and Laos.
Symbolic of this 3 day Festival is the Ratchaphruek (Cassia fistula L.) or Golden Shower Flower.
The golden blooms are the National Flower of Thailand, also known as "Khun" or "Chaiyaphruek".
The reason that this Flower is used to symbolize the nation lies in its colour:
Its blossoms symbolic of the yellow of Buddhism.
The Thais regard yellow as the colour of the King as he was born on a Monday and yellow is regarded
As the colour of Monday.
The flowers have a single green staymen, which rolls up to form a 9, the King is the 9th ruler in this dynasty.
Another interesting feature of the golden shower trees, they all bloom at the same time; this unity in
Flowering is felt to reflect the unity and identity of Thai People.
Now on the 13th the fun starts, no matter where you are, no one is exempt from having water doused over them.
This includes the King, Monks or the Police.
The three days you want to leave your cameras at home, for it will have water tossed over it.
The water is said to wash away the evil spirits and leave you with good luck.
The flowers of the Golden shower soaked in buckets of water can be purchased at temples, a few braches are in
The bucket as well.
These branches are used to sprinkle water on the Buddha’s heads, in and around the temples.
Water that runs off the Buddha is collected to wipe your face and wet your hair.
Good Luck to you all!!
I am now back in my hotel in Udon-Thani Thailand.
Walkabout John.