SONGKRAN IN CHIANG MAI
Songkran used to be observed only in Northern Thailand, leading some to believe that it was originally brought to Thailand by the Burmese. It is now celebrated all over Thailand, although the celebration in the northern city of Chiang Mai is generally recognized as the most authentic example, and also the most intense.
SONGKRAN 2017
The official dates for the Songkran festival in Chiang Mai are Thursday, 13 April 2017 to Saturday, 15 April 2017. The fact that Songkran is falling on a weekend this year means that Monday 17 April, 2017 will also be a bank/government holiday. This is the most important festival of the year for Thai people, and they know how to make the most of it. All government offices will be closed for the duration of the holiday, and many businesses will give this time off to their employees.
TRADITIONAL SONGKRAN
Traditionally, Songkran was a time when Buddha images from private homes and temples were cleansed with specially perfumed lustral water. In many cities, Buddha images are taken from the temples and paraded around the streets for this purpose. Also at this time sand is taken to the temples, sculpted into shapes like stupas (chedis), and decorated with colorful flags. At this time, many people take the opportunity to carefully clean their houses and to make New Year resolutions, promising to do good deeds and refrain from doing bad ones.
SONGKRAN IN CHIANG MAI
Chiang Mai offers plenty of opportunity to enjoy both the traditional and the modern aspects of Songkran. On the first day of Songkran (Wan Maha Songkran) a procession of Buddha images placed on specially decorated floats, accompanied by marching bands from local schools and detachments of various civic groups, makes its way from the railway station to Wat Phra Singh in the center of the old town. All along the route citizen throw lustral water onto the images to ritually cleanse them, and so gain merit.
Leading the way is the famous Phra Sihing image, which is then placed in front of the temple at Wat Phra Singh so that people can continue to cleanse the image for the rest of the festival. This procession is nearer the true spirit of Songkran and, while there is plenty of gentle water-splashing, it is free of the ebullient hooliganism on display elsewhere in the town.
The sand sculptures can be seen at temples all over Chiang Mai. The sand is usually carried into the temples on the afternoon of the second day (Wan Nao), and then sculpted and decorated on the morning of the third day (Wan Thaloeng Sok). Also on the third day, devout Buddhists will bring offerings to the temple, often dressed in traditional clothes. Ceremonies will take place at the viharn, or central meeting hall, of the temple. Flags will be placed on the sand sculptures and symbolic supporting sticks placed under the large Bodhi tree that is usually found in the temple precincts. Back at home many devotees will offer lustral water to elders and senior family members.