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Sabaidee thook qon,
I would like to take this opportunity to say happy new year to everyone and wish all of you the best of luck on this Lao's new year weekend!

Songkran Festival,

Ready or not, the water Festival is upon people who live in Laos today. April in Laos is a time to increased gaiety and frivolity.

It’s time for Songkran, the much-anticipated Water Festival, the time of family reunions, signaling the end of all field work and the beginning of the traditional Laos New Year.

For many who live in Laos, it’s time to settle into light-heartiness, as everyone returns to the comforting roots of childhood homes. People in Laos, Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia and Laotian expatriates in foreign countries are equally wholehearted in throwing themselves into the long holidays with bowls and bucket.

Songkran is the time to visit the houses respected elders and relatives! ! and engage in the act of respect by pouring perfumed water from a bowl on the hand of persons as a rite of paying respect. The elder bless the young ones and utter prayers and words of wisdom, it is often accompany by the tying of strings around the person’s wrist. For relatives and friends, the small amount of water was pouring on the shoulders. Also, one can also find it meaningful to visit temples and go through the merit-making ceremony by offering food, fruits and other gift to monks. It is believed that the offerings will be eventually transported to beloved dead relatives.

The Origins of Songkran

The word Songkran comes from Sanskrit, meaning the beginning of a new Solar Year, and falls in the middle of April every year. There are several theories to the origin of Songkran but all relate the festival to astrology, Buddhism and agriculture in ancient Laos.

In present day, the official Lao New Year is celebrated in the fifth month of the Lao luna! ! r year, April in the Gregorian calendar. Historians, however, point out that in the past it was celebrated in the first lunar month, and that the changes occurred in relation to religious beliefs, the development of rice farming and the Lao season/calendar system. The origins of the Songkran have been widely studied.

Scholars are relatively certain that Songkran started with the pre-Buddhist Tai (or Dtai) people from Southern China, a few of whom still live in North Laos,Thailand, and Vietname. Historians believe that Songkran was originally a fertility and harvest ceremony to celebrate the New Year.

They, the Tais migrated into Laos, and Thailand, they brought with them their culture and beliefs which were based on Chinese models and local climatic features of crop sowing, and harvest times. The calendar was lunar and based on the farming cycle of their area, which began in the first lunar month (around November) and ended in the twelfth lunar month (around O! ! ctober). Upon settling in more tropical climate of Laos, and Thailand, the Tais obviously found different weather patterns, which meant changes in farming practices. The new year eventually came to be celebrated in the fifth or the sixth lunar month. Scholars also closely relate the Lao calendar's astrological and lunar features with Buddhism.

They infer that as Buddhism easily harmonized with many other cultures and beliefs, the Tais had easily blended their animistic beliefs into it. In Buddhism, the movements of the moon are highly important as indicators of special days or holy days. But while religion played an important role in the astrological and lunar features of the Lao calendar, historians say the basis of the ancient Lao lunar calendar were the annual harvest and growing season. In the old calendar, the first month occurred between late November and December. And that is why until today, many rural villagers continue to celebrate their New Year according t! ! o the old calendar at the end of November.

Songkran is officially celebrated over a stretch of over four days, each with different focus and activities.

* April 13 -- Wan Sangkhan Long. Sankhan Long roughly means the day of remembering that everyone's life will end, and that during this day a person is a step closer towards mortality. People generally clean their houses this day and prepare for the new year festival. Songkran parade takes place with Buddha images, floats musicians and beauties wearing traditional costume, all of whom will be soaked by spectators walk around the city.

* April 14 -- Wan Nao. Food preparation takes place this day for the Buddhist merit-making activities that occur the following day. Chedis (stupas) made of sand are also built this day on temple grounds.

* April 15th--Wan Pak Pee or Wan Payawan. This is the start of the new year. Early morning merit-making at the temple is accompanied by cooked foods, fresh fruits ! ! and robes for the monks. In the early tradition (still observed until the present), people gently splash water to the hands and shoulders of the elders, relatives and friends as a sign of bond and respect.

* April 16 - Wan Pak Duan. This is the beginning of the new month in the lunar calendar. The water drenching continues until late in the evening.


Have a wonderful weekend,

Amp

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