Songkran Water Festival

• Water Festival Songkran

This festival has many different names, specific to each country. Such as in Laos and Thailand, it is called Songkran, Cambodia - Chaul Chnam Thmi and Myanmar - Tinguan. This - the Thai New Year, which is celebrated from 13 to 19 April. This is a Buddhist family holiday, which is celebrated in many countries of South Asia, on the basis of astrological observations. During this holiday decided to pour water on each other, so it is sometimes also called the festival of water.

Tourists and Thai residents take part in the citywide celebration during the water festival of Songkran in Chiang Mai. Thailand.

China. Water Festival held in many countries in Southeast Asia such as Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, and Yunnan Province in China. During the festival, people splash water on each other as part of the cleansing ritual.

Pouring water also symbolizes the blessing and good wishes. It is believed that all the old should be thrown away during the water festival.

Traditionally, people gently pour water on each other as a sign of respect, but during noisy celebrations on the streets, when the holiday falls on the hottest month in Southeast Asia, many people end up simply pour water strangers and passers-by.

A participant of the festival avoids splashing during the annual water festival. Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province.

Children Dai ethnic group, taking part in the annual festival of water in Xishuangbanna in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Myanmar. The festival will last for three days. On the last day of the third ceremony of pouring water occur. On this day people wear their newest and best clothes, then collected at a local Buddhist temple, where the monks chanting Buddhist songs. Then held a symbolic ritual, according to which the statue of Buddha splashing water. This important ritual called "Bathing the Buddha".

Thailand. Thais and tourists take part in the annual celebration of the festival of Songkran - Thai traditional New Year, also known as the water festival.