Songkran is the observation of Thai New Year, celebrated as a 3-day festival beginning April 13 to April 15th. According to UNESCO, the event marks “the sun’s annual passing into the Aries constellation, the first sign of the Zodiac, which marks the traditional start of the new year.” 

In Thailand, the festival commemorates familial ties and holds religious importance. During Songkran, families reunite to pay respect and buy new clothing for older relatives and elders, as well as engage in folk music, food, and games. As a Buddhist festival, people also pay their respects to Buddha by sprinkling lustral water on Buddha statues to symbolize cleansing and purification. Splashing your friends and family with water is also encouraged (both as a symbol of renewal, and to beat Thailand’s scorching April heat!) 

“[Songkran] is a festival that really brings a lot of people together. It’s not just about the food and the festival itself— it has a lot of qualities like spending time with family, being able to cook out together, and there’s also this event where you get to get water guns and spray people around,” freshman Alyssa Baramee said of her experiences celebrating Songkran. 

If you’re interested in the culture and festivities of Songkran, one local festival you can visit this year to immerse yourself is Wat Thai D.C.’s Annual Songkran Festival on Sunday, April 14 from 9 a.m.. to 4 p.m. The festival will include religious ceremonies (including the pouring of water to honor Buddha) as well as Thai cultural shows, food, and merchandise stands with souvenirs. 

“For me personally, my favorite part is the food because you get to go around and eat a lot of it,” my brother, freshman Pat Supnui said. When asked about his favorite food items from the festival, he highlighted the shaved ice and sugar cane water.

As someone who has been to this festival with my family in years past, I can say the festival is an immensely enjoyable cultural experience. Not only is the food from the stalls delicious (I recommend the pork skewers and shaved ice!), but the classical dance and music performances are impressive and enjoyable. 

“I highly recommend they go [to the festival], not only because there’s good food, but you also find a bunch of people that you can connect with, people you do and you don’t know,” Baramee said.