“Phayawan” is the word used to called the first start of the Thai New Year or Songkran. Most people have known Songkran day as the Water War Festival as people splash water to each other with crazy and fun. Actually there are 3 important days in the Thai New Year.
Normally the Thai New Year or well known among the foreigner is Songkran Day is on 13th – 15th April of every year. A day before, we usually clean our houses and prepare for the good start of the coming year. On 13th April , we start the day by going to the temples.In the afternoon there would be big parades around Thailand in all provinces to bring the important Buddha images out for people to worship and splash the holy water. Young people enjoying the festival by splashing water to each other with happiness. On 14th April, people prepare themselves to get ready and doing a good deed which include saying only good things , be police and good words. This day we called “Wan Noa”. We prepare food and the colored flags ( The Toong) as well as the sand to the temples. On 15th April, we go to the temple and offering things and food to the monks to pass them and connect to our ancestors. For the “Toong” ( Colorful flags) are going to put on the sand pagodas provided at the temples to help the ancestors who suffering in hell by the sin they did when they were alive. Life is going back to normal in 16th April , the family reunion days. Most people go back to their hometown to see their families and showing respect to the parents. These kinds of ceremony has continue in all Thai and the nearby countries like Laos and Myanmar.
