Did you know that every year around April, there’s a
different New Year’s celebration known as The Water Festival? Southeast Asian countries such as
Burma, Cambodia, Laos, India, Thailand as well as Yunnan, China celebrate this
multi-day holiday. In
Burma, (where I’m from) the New Year’s celebration is called Thingyan; for Thailand, Songkran; for Cambodia, Chaul Chnam Thmey. Depending on which country they’re from
the festival dates vary, but they all have one thing in common-The Water
Festival.
Everyone take part in the festivities with traditional water-throwing activities; going to pagodas or temples for worship and blessings; and sharing communal meals. Water is a symbol of not only cleanliness but also auspiciousness. A belief that the celebration of the
water festival will wash away evils and sins accumulated in the old one and prepare for the new one, bringing the people into a happy and peaceful new year.
Water Festival - Yangon, Myanmar
No one is safe from a good drenching since this occurs
during one of the hottest time of the year! In their celebratory moods, strangers will splash or pour
water at each other. Also, during
this time of the year, one of the activities will be the cooking of vast
amounts of sticky rice with roasted coconut and toasted sesame over an open
fire. It is a strenuous task where
the sticky rice must be soaked over night and the ingredients has to be stirred
continuously. It is a community
affair; where all the people in the village will get pitch in and make
offerings to monks and visitors alike.
