New Year celebrations don"t always come with fireworks—sometimes, they come with buckets and a nationwide water splash fest! Thailand"s Songkran festival is a unique mix of spiritual traditions and all-out water fights. Held from April 13 to 15 this year, the holiday is deeply rooted in Buddhist customs and focuses on cleansing and starting afresh. During this time, people visit temples, offer food to monks and pour scented water over Buddha statues and elders" hands as a sign of respect. Meanwhile, the streets turn into water battlegrounds, with locals and tourists alike getting soaked in the spirit of renewal. Traditional parades roll through the lanes, and in some places, the "Lady Songkran" or "Miss Songkran" contest steals the show, with contestants dressed in stunning Thai outfits.
Songkran—Thai New Year
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
-
Spiralling upward...
-
Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal
-
Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
-
International Jazz Day
-
Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
-
Glacial rivers, Iceland
-
Saint Georges Day
-
World Wildlife Day
-
Koala
-
Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
-
Remember, remember…
-
International Womens Day
-
A butterflys best friend
-
Stop and smell the Sakura
-
European beech forest, Belgium
-
A sea of humanity
-
European Day of Parks
-
Arches National Park, Utah, United States
-
Almond trees in full bloom, California, USA
-
International Tiger Day
-
Annas hummingbird
-
European hare
-
Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland
-
Black History Month begins
-
Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
-
Happy 70th to the North York Moors
-
World Octopus Day
-
Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
-
Shark Fin Cove, California