Songkran to be celebrated indoors

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Songkran to be celebrated indoors

 

 

The Department of Cultural Promotion has suggested that Thais avoid public gatherings for Songkran and instead bathe the Buddha's idol at home to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

 

Songkran is usually remembered for celebrations involving the splashing of water in public places to cool down the heat but there is also an astrological aspect to the tradition.

 

During the Thai New Year celebration, a mythological goddess supposedly gives the weather forecast for harvest each year.

 

The goddess of 2020 is Koraka Devi, who wears an Indian cork, moonstone and bracelets. She holds a staff in her right hand and a blade in the left hand, drinks oil and travels with a tiger.

 

She is the fiercest Songkran goddess and her tiger symbolically suggests caution this year, as if people are riding a tiger.

 

The forecast for 2020 is not good for harvests since the weather is not auspicious and nine in 10 farms will suffer. Friday will be a rainy day and rains will hit the country 500 times, according to the forecast.

 

Meanwhile, Thursday will be a day of success, Sunday will be a day of power and Wednesday of obstacles. Astrologers read Tuesday as doomsday.

 

Culture Minister Ittipol Khunpluem suggested that this year Songkran should be celebrated indoors and all traditional rituals should be conducted at home due to the pandemic crisis.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385831

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-12

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[transam]

Great fun with no booze INDOORS....

[cyril sneer]

10 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

During the Thai New Year celebration, a mythological goddess supposedly gives the weather forecast for harvest each year.

what a load of <deleted>

[Justgrazing]

6 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

She is the fiercest Songkran goddess and her tiger symbolically suggests caution this year, as if people are riding a tiger.

caution as if riding a tiger .! I can't even imagine putting a saddle on one let alone ride it .. 

 

And the bit about drinking oil is nowt new .. I've drink olive oil before after picking the wrong bottle up in the kitchen when the light wasn't turned on .. 

[ParkerN]

3 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

what a load of <deleted>

 

Indeed. Animism gone potty. I see that last year, a few cows predited plentiful waterand rice harvests.

 

How did that work out?

 

To make a success of any attempt at any sensible animism, one needs to be capable of copious thought. Not in evidence, so animism is something else Thais aren't terribly good at.

[ParkerN]

3 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

caution as if riding a tiger .! I can't even imagine putting a saddle on one let alone ride it .. 

 

And the bit about drinking oil is nowt new .. I've drink olive oil before after picking the wrong bottle up in the kitchen when the light wasn't turned on .. 

 

Pretty glad I wasn't waiting outside your loo door the following morning...

[holy cow cm]

I just hope nobody posts a picture of them enjoying the time at home with spirits'…. You know how much Thai are scared of that!

[connda]

Considering that the Thai authorities wish to kill Songkran as well as Thai culture, we are happy to accommodate their perverse wishes.

No Songkran at our home this year, and maybe never again.  In fact, we'll bag the rest of the cultural 'holidays' to boot.
Good job destroying Thai culture gents.    Really, who cares?

[gk10002000]

3 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

what a load of <deleted>

yeah.  Most Thais do not celebrate it as a religious thing.  It is a stress relief.  I have seen the anger and resentment on Thais faces as they "attack" foreigners.  And it is not just a throw water at whoever is walking by.   Still, it is probably better to throw water for a few days or a week instead of holding in anger and frustration.   Venting is good.  They control so little of their lives under the regime, limited financial resources, limited advancement or education opportunities in so many area. 

[Solidpoo]

I've never understood Songkran. Waste of water tbh

[djayz]

3 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

I have seen the anger and resentment on Thais faces as they "attack" foreigners.

What a load of crock. 

[Damrongsak]

I recall it being an interesting and somewhat genteel celebration - 40+ years ago.  Maybe it was because I was up in Loei town and things weren't so crazy.  I got a bit damp, but people were respectful.  But back then, farangs were a curiosity. Nowadays it sure seems like stress relief, as mentioned.  Ba ba, bo bo = crazy.

[brokenbone]

5 hours ago, connda said:

Considering that the Thai authorities wish to kill Songkran as well as Thai culture, we are happy to accommodate their perverse wishes.

No Songkran at our home this year, and maybe never again.  In fact, we'll bag the rest of the cultural 'holidays' to boot.
Good job destroying Thai culture gents.    Really, who cares?

i care, im fed up with getting my eyes targeted when i drive motorcycle, the sinister intent is to cause accident and pain,

and they do it by instinct from the age of 4

[Phuketshrew]

14 hours ago, transam said:

Great fun with no booze INDOORS....

Have plenty of booze and will spend time cooling off and splashing around in the pool ????

[marko kok prong]

Hmm,Koraka Devi sounds Indian,Hindu,as we know Thai Buddism is very tied into some Hindu beleifs,Gods and such,i shall look it up.

[AgMech Cowboy]

16 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

what a load of <deleted>

WHAT? You don't believe it?  I don't either, but I still read a horoscope. I don't believe them either, but it's interesting to read about different beliefs and cultures. No need to ridicule. 

[ParkerN]

11 hours ago, Solidpoo said:

I've never understood Songkran. Waste of water tbh

Indeed. Historically, it was an occasion to sanctify (libate) honoured members of the family (the old buggers mainly, to help them feel useful and all venerable and stuff). A secondary custom was to cast water about in the hope that (by a process of sympathetic Magic), the weather spirits would make it rain. These days, it's an opportunity for youth to behave obnoxiously and to gather the almighty tourist dollars by allowing obnoxious youths from other countries to come and behave badly in Thailand - for a price of course.

 

It's a pity really, Songkran has largely lost it's symbolism, and the symbolism, (which was quaint and non-useful for anything but spiritual purposes and which was largely wasted as a consequence) was the only useful thing about it. Plus of course it allowed the Thais to pretend they had a unique New Year 'tradition', thus affirming their inherent superiority over other, less-enlightened nations.

 

These days, it's a lot of old nonsense, they should ban it altogether and put their energy into teaching their kids not to be wastrels instead - try and catch up to the rest of the 3rd world.

 

Thus spake ParkerN.

[ParkerN]

1 hour ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

WHAT? You don't believe it?  I don't either, but I still read a horoscope. I don't believe them either, but it's interesting to read about different beliefs and cultures. No need to ridicule. 

 

Every need to ridicule, and I'll wager you don't read the horoscope to 'learn about different cultures and beliefs'. that's just a figleaf you self-apply because you don't really know why you read them in the 21st Century.

 

Deep inside, you read it in case it's true, and inside every one of us (even Richard Dawkins for all his huffing and puffing about it all) is a part of us that wants to believe the old ways might have some merit - and who knows? perhaps they might.

 

The remnants of a whimsical longing for bygone ages of sword and sorcery and secret knowledge.

 

 

Edited April 13, 2020 by ParkerN

[brokenbone]

1 hour ago, ParkerN said:

The remnants of a whimsical longing for bygone ages of sword and sorcery and secret knowledge.

well said

[ReLo]

Best SONGKRAN ever ❤️