While Songkran is fairly well known around the world as a huge, wild, multi-day water gun fight, it's also the traditional three-day Thai new year (April 13-15) and quite an important day in Thai Buddhism.
All across the country, Buddha shrines have begun popping up in public spaces - offices, schools, condo lobbies, even supermarkets. Each shrine has a bowl of fragrant water with flower petals floating in it that passersby can scoop up with a cup to gently pour over the statue. This ritual, known as Song Nam Phra, is an act of respect and renewal, and symbolizes the washing away of the past year’s misfortunes and the welcoming of good luck for the year ahead.
On the other hand, a very different kind of display has taken over storefronts across the country. Every shop, street stall, and minimart is suddenly stocked with brightly colored water guns, waterproof pouches for phones, and the iconic, tacky floral shirts that have become synonymous with Songkran.
Even though I've been living in Thailand for more than a decade, I've actually only participated in the water fight one time. It's fun, but it can be a little bit too crazy and crowded for my taste.
This year, I went out on the first night of Songkran to attend the Little Bangkok Sangha, an English-language santha (Buddhist community, meditation group, or congregation) led by the well-known English monk Phra Pandit, who has become something of a bridge between Thai Buddhism and the city’s English-speaking residents. Phra Pandit has been living as a monk in Thailand for over two decades and is a frequent guest on my friend Greg's Bangkok Podcast.
I arrived with a friend at 6:30, and the evening began with a quiet 15-minute meditation session before Phra Pandit gave his "monk chat", an informal lecture and discussion with the small group assembled. This night's lecture was, appropriately, about the symbolism of water not only in Thai Buddhism, but in other traditions around the world.
Phra Pandit drew very interesting parallels between Songkran, Arthurian legend, and even the Bible, making a connection between Jeremiah 2:13 and Buddha's teachings. This was actually the second time I've been to one of Phra Pandit's lectures (the first was in my very first year of Thailand before I even knew who he was), but I've heard him quite often on the Bangkok Podcast. He's very funny and does a good job of explaining Buddhism in English to Westerners in contexts that make it easy to understand.
Phra Pandit drew very interesting parallels between Songkran, Arthurian legend, and even the Bible, making a connection between Jeremiah 2:13 and Buddha's teachings. This was actually the second time I've been to one of Phra Pandit's lectures (the first was in my very first year of Thailand before I even knew who he was), but I've heard him quite often on the Bangkok Podcast. He's very funny and does a good job of explaining Buddhism in English to Westerners in contexts that make it easy to understand.
This year, my wife and I decided to do something new and different for Songkran. I had heard of an event taking place at the National Museum, so on a very hot Songkran afternoon (the festival is held during the hottest part of the Thai year, making it quite understandable how the water gun tradition developed), we took the MRT down to Sanam Chai Station near the Grand Palace, and caught a ride to the Wang Na (the "Front Palace", former residence of Siam's Vice-King, and currently home to the fantastic Thai National Museum).
We arrived at the museum and took part in the Buddha washing ritual outside in the courtyard. A number of vendors had set up stalls at the museum selling snacks and cold drinks, and the museum's cafe and gift shop were open (and heavily airconditioned) so that people could escape the heat and cool off.
The main event took place in Siwamokhaphiman Hall, one of the main buildings at the museum that usually houses temporary exhibitions and collections. Over Songkran, it had been transformed into a sort of sanctuary displaying some very rare and very special artifacts.
Each of the nine figures, cast from pure silver, was associated with a planet and believed to influence human destiny.
They include:
- Phra Athit (the Sun), representing power and temperament
- Phra Chan (the Moon), linked to emotion and gentleness
- Phra Angkhan (Mars), embodying energy and boldness
- Phra Phut (Mercury), the patron of communication and intellect
- Phra Phruehat (Jupiter), symbolizing wisdom and moral authority
- Phra Suk (Venus), associated with beauty, love, and the arts
- Phra Sao (Saturn), representing endurance and hardship
- Phra Rahu, a shadow force representing darkness and eclipses who is tied to misfortune but also protection and transformation
- Phra Ketu, a more mysterious guardian believed to balance karma and turn ill fortune toward good
Through some tricky astrology math that I don't understand (luckily some museum staff were on hand to help with the calculation), we discovered which of the nine deities are most influential in guiding our lives. Surprisingly, it does not correspond to the day of the week in which we were born.
The historic golden Buddha is second in spiritual importance only to the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Palace. Supposedly, it dates back to the year 157, where it was cast in what is now Sri Lanka, though much of the story of the Phra Puttha Sihing is based in myth and legend.
It was a nice day, and it was fun to do something on Songkran besides hiding out in my condo and avoiding the water fight. Sometimes, it feels that with all the modern traditions (which are fun, don't get me wrong!), the historical and deeper spiritual meaning of Songkran is overlooked.
I'm not Buddhist, but as an expat who has made Thailand my home, I really appreciate connecting with the country's deeper culture, and taking part in experiences like this are such a good way to get beyond "Instagram Thailand" and start to feel like I really belong here.
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