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Sunday, March 25, 2007

Phromthep cape


The Songkran Festival

Songkran is a Thai traditional New Year which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for 3 days. Songkran festival on April 13 is Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end of the old year, April 14 is Wan Nao which is the day after and April 15 is Wan Thaloeng Sok which the New Year begins.It is also known as the "Water Festival" as people believe that water will wash away bad luck.

The Songkran tradition is recognized as a valuable custom for the Thai community, society and religions. The value for family is to provide the opportunity for family members to gather in order to express their respects to the elders by pouring scented water onto the hands of their parents and grandparents and to present them gifts including making merits to dedicate the result to their ancestors. The elders in return wish the youngsters good luck and prosperity.

Monk Food Offering

The Monk Food Offering involved getting up at the crack of dawn (ie 5:30am) to go to the main street to set up a little "stall" by 6am to offer food to the monks. As Monks are not allowed to buy or request for food (one of the 227 rules the monks live by), the locals will offer food to the procession of monks.