Thailand's April Holidays and Festivals

I am going to cover some of the most famous Thai specific April holidays and festivals! I hope to make this a monthly series and this topic idea was submitted to me by my fabulous best friend, Michael Jha <3.

Songkran Festival activities in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Covered in this Independent Article

Poy Sang Long Ceremony at Wat Ku Tao. Source here!

While many American friends and family are celebrating holidays such as Easter and Arbor Day during April, Thailand has their own unique festivals and celebrations! My goal with this series is to go through some of these festivals in detail, give a bit of background, and include some fun facts and trivia. If you have ever celebrated the two festivals I am going to discuss (Songkran or Poy Sang Long) please let me know how your experience was in the comments :)

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Songkran

If you tuned in for this season of The White Lotus, you might remember the episode where the characters, Jaclyn, Laurie, & Kate leave the resort and are met with an army of young kids ruthlessly spraying them with water. Despite their complaints, there is no escaping getting pelted with water while out during Songkran as they quickly found out. You can watch the clip here if you want some background!

The Thai festival of Songkran is a vibrant and significant event in Thailand, and marks the start of the traditional Thai New Year. This festival is celebrated annually around mid-April, typically from the 13th to the 15th, Songkran's history and background are deeply rooted in ancient traditions and beliefs. Songkran symbolizes cleansing, washing away misfortunes, and bestowing blessings for the new year. Given April is the hottest month in Thailand, the water fights also provide a welcome respite from the heat!

Some scholars have traced Songkran's origins to an ancient Hindu spring festival that celebrated the harvest season. The tradition likely spread to Southeast Asia during the first millennium CE through cultural exchange and the influence of Theravada Buddhism. The Khmer Empire, which once ruled parts of present-day Thailand, adopted the festival, referring to it as "Sangkran" or "Songkran." Today, Songkran is celebrated with water fights in larger cities such as Bangkok or Chiang Mai and even the local police can be seen playing along with their own water guns. This festival is meant to spark joy, unity, and lightheartedness.

Poy Sang Long Ceremony

The Poy Sang Long ceremony, also known as the "Festival of the Crystal Sons" or "ordaining the beloved sons," is a significant and vibrant tradition located predominantely in Northern Thailand. Specifically the Mae Hong Son province, Chiang Mai, and also in parts of Myanmar. It is a merit-making ritual centered around the ordination of young boys, typically between the ages of 7 and 14, as novice monks in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. The first day of the ceremony (Rup Sang Long) involves the boys shaving their heads and eyebrows as well as donning elaborate costumes, makeup, and jewelry to resemble young princes.

During the second day of the ceremony the novices are carried on the shoulders of relatives or mentors in grand processions (as pictured in the image above). These are often parade type events complete with music, dancing, and offerings. After the second day (Kham Kaek), the novices are paraded to the temple and take their monastic vows (Hae Khrua Lu). This marks their official entry into the Sangha (monastic community), where they will reside and learn Buddhist teachings for a period ranging from a week to several months or even longer.

This tradition holds deep cultural and religious significance as the boy's families are rewarded with merit-making, believed to bring spiritual rewards. The entire event shows a reverence and continuing commitment to the Buddhist principles and community and Shan culture.