Traditional Songkhran

[macb]

This is the traditional Songkhran in the Khmer village: Which is what my wife wanted to do this year:

How the events proceeded, once it was discussed with family and sisters who would but what my Wife being the organiser got things rolling, the event was shared with reference the cost with sisters.

The event was to bless all four house in our family strip Our House, mama papa house and two Sisters houses, all situated within 200 metres of each other:

Then have the elders from the village including elders from family bathed blessed and given gifts.

So the preperations started: I took wife and sister to Surin and they bought all the goodies to make gifts for the monks on the day. Then the day before I took wife and mother to choose a pig for the banquet.

The night before my wife sat making up the monks gifts

The evening before went to Buriram I bought the drinks etc then we went to night Bazaar and another sister bought all the vegetables etc.

Next morning about 4 am cooking started

So while sisters and helpers cook, the room in a sisters house is prepared for the monks arrival

Prior to the monks arriving at 7 am there has to be a small ceremony for ancestors as good will

The monks arrive at 7 am and everyone joins them for prayers and feast etc. First a pic of our head monk

Then his understudies for want of a better phrase

When the monks have feasted then everyone else can eat

Having done all this one monk leavers to bless the four house herre is my friend blessing our house

Well the monks left with there gifts etc now we get the elders ready for there treats: I will start with pics of my wifes mama papa and grandfather.

All elders seated then they were all bathed and given gifts: Its now about 9 am in the proceedings

Well then after the elders I decided as a surprise to hurl a bag af loose change in the air haha by this time its a free for all with the water Sanook was had by all including me

Mates from Thaivisa arrived with there families Andylee and diablobob

Well I hope you all enjoy my village Songkhran input: You see its not just about getting a pick-up loaded with water and soaking everyone there is a deep rooted tradition

Edited April 13, 2007 by macb

[Krub]

Great post

Thanks for the nice pictures

Happy Songkhran to all

[Mid]

BRILLANT , wish I was there .

Hey Mods , how about pinning this one ?

[goldencrunchie]

This is the traditional Songkhran in the Khmer village: Which is what my wife wanted to do this year:

How the events proceeded, once it was discussed with family and sisters who would but what my Wife being the organiser got things rolling, the event was shared with reference the cost with sisters.

The event was to bless all four house in our family strip Our House, mama papa house and two Sisters houses, all situated within 200 metres of each other:

Then have the elders from the village including elders from family bathed blessed and given gifts.

So the preperations started: I took wife and sister to Surin and they bought all the goodies to make gifts for the monks on the day. Then the day before I took wife and mother to choose a pig for the banquet.

The night before my wife sat making up the monks gifts

The evening before went to Buriram I bought the drinks etc then we went to night Bazaar and another sister bought all the vegetables etc.

Next morning about 4 am cooking started

So while sisters and helpers cook, the room in a sisters house is prepared for the monks arrival

Prior to the monks arriving at 7 am there has to be a small ceremony for ancestors as good will

The monks arrive at 7 am and everyone joins them for prayers and feast etc. First a pic of our head monk

Then his understudies for want of a better phrase

When the monks have feasted then everyone else can eat

Having done all this one monk leavers to bless the four house herre is my friend blessing our house

Well the monks left with there gifts etc now we get the elders ready for there treats: I will start with pics of my wifes mama papa and grandfather.

All elders seated then they were all bathed and given gifts: Its now about 9 am in the proceedings

Well then after the elders I decided as a surprise to hurl a bag af loose change in the air haha by this time its a free for all with the water Sanook was had by all including me

Mates from Thaivisa arrived with there families Andylee and diablobob

Well I hope you all enjoy my village Songkhran input: You see its not just about getting a pick-up loaded with water and soaking everyone there is a deep rooted tradition

Good post macb it certainly beats the mayhem in pattaya every songkhran,it looks great but it must have taken a while to bath the elders.It looks like their were quite a few there but this shows the real meaning of songkhran.

Edited April 13, 2007 by goldencrunchie

[mrbojangles]

Excellent post Macb. Thanks for sharing

[topdjdel]

absolutly wonderful,lovely to it see properly for a change.

shows you can have fun without being extreme.

Thanks for sharing.

delboy

[skipvice]

Wow,Great Photo,s I realy injoyed them,Thanks for Sharing them. I am Realy looking forward to songkhran when we move back to my wife village in a couple years.

[pumpuiman]

Thanks Mac.

So nice to see the true meaning.

At my wifes village there were games played at the temple yesterday. Things like three legged races and such. Dancing and singing contests as well. All good family fun.

Sigh........I miss Isaan.

Hope to see you soon.

[Thaddeus]

BRILLANT , wish I was there .

Hey Mods , how about pinning this one ?

Seconded.

Thanks Mac, great pictures, it's good to be reminded what this festival is really about.

[macb]

Your most welcome guys I am only to pleased to share my village experiences with you;

What I find strange is how moving to LOS and the village is bringing these Topics out I never dreamed of doing writings like this before.

THanks for your comments and Thaddeus we still aint met up yet

[99BigLad99]

THanks for your comments and Thaddeus we still aint met up yet

so long as you give him Christmas dinner you will be in good books - nice report by the way Malcom

[Thaddeus]

THanks for your comments and Thaddeus we still aint met up yet

so long as you give him Christmas dinner you will be in good books - nice report by the way Malcom

[MiG16]

MacB

thanks so much for sharing with us all the true Songkran and what it is about.

being a thai Im often frustrated with what Songkran celebrations has turned out to be (atleast in all the towns and cities) quite sad really. I have a hard time trying to tell foreign friends what Songkran is really meant to be, all my words and little gestures are hard to compete with the glaring visuals u see around places like khaosarn or the streets of bangkok with their bcukets and hoses of water on pick-up trucks and such.

so its very refreshing to see that many still understand and practice Songkran in its true spirit. so a very big thankyou to you for sharing this If its ok with you..I would like to request to 'steal' some of the pics for my blog?

thankyou

[gisele]

Fanstastic pictures,

it is great that you are sharing this with everyone, like others have said, it depicts another side of Songkran that is rarely shown.

[Martin]

Thank you, Mac, for an excellent story and pictures.

There is a world of difference berween the songkran festivals in the villages and towns, now.

We received a message that a village well off the Highway, back against the forested hills, where my wife has some old friends from girlhood, was making a special effort to raise the money to roof a bot (ordination hall) that they are having built at their temple. They were looking for sponsors at 10 baht per tile. My wife got busy and raised 100 tiles each from our younger son in Bangkok, our older son who is a newsreader in Udon, from me, and from the housekeeping.

So off we went to the festivities. We were too late for the parade round the village with the banana-tree stems holding all the split canes with banknotes in them and the dancing in procession, but in time for the formal donation to the abbot. Bless them, they produced a plastic chair for me to sit on during the service, once I had wai-ed to the monk.

The temple grounds were throbbing. I love the way it is all mixed up. Concert party on stage, kiddies roundabouts, formal religous tableaus and ceremonies, and lots of eating and drinking.

You have reminded me to take a look at the video that I took and the stills. If any are any good, I'll post them here later.

[macb]

MacB

thanks so much for sharing with us all the true Songkran and what it is about.

being a thai Im often frustrated with what Songkran celebrations has turned out to be (atleast in all the towns and cities) quite sad really. I have a hard time trying to tell foreign friends what Songkran is really meant to be, all my words and little gestures are hard to compete with the glaring visuals u see around places like khaosarn or the streets of bangkok with their bcukets and hoses of water on pick-up trucks and such.

so its very refreshing to see that many still understand and practice Songkran in its true spirit. so a very big thankyou to you for sharing this If its ok with you..I would like to request to 'steal' some of the pics for my blog?

thankyou

Well that is an accolade in my book to recieve comments from a Thai person thanks very much: Feel free if you want some pics in your Blog if there is room in your blog for my name all the better lol

[macb]

Well I made a big boo boo, I deleted some attachments to free space up and messed my Topics up, Sorry guys I will create an Album in the Gallery and put a link here for those who may still read:

Sorry once again

[macb]

Thank you, Mac, for an excellent story and pictures.

There is a world of difference berween the songkran festivals in the villages and towns, now.

We received a message that a village well off the Highway, back against the forested hills, where my wife has some old friends from girlhood, was making a special effort to raise the money to roof a bot (ordination hall) that they are having built at their temple. They were looking for sponsors at 10 baht per tile. My wife got busy and raised 100 tiles each from our younger son in Bangkok, our older son who is a newsreader in Udon, from me, and from the housekeeping.

So off we went to the festivities. We were too late for the parade round the village with the banana-tree stems holding all the split canes with banknotes in them and the dancing in procession, but in time for the formal donation to the abbot. Bless them, they produced a plastic chair for me to sit on during the service, once I had wai-ed to the monk.

The temple grounds were throbbing. I love the way it is all mixed up. Concert party on stage, kiddies roundabouts, formal religous tableaus and ceremonies, and lots of eating and drinking.

You have reminded me to take a look at the video that I took and the stills. If any are any good, I'll post them here later.

Heres a link for the pictures in the Gallery as I messed up andf deleted attachments grrrrrrr

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?au...m&album=668

[dong]

Thank you, Mac, for an excellent story and pictures.

There is a world of difference berween the songkran festivals in the villages and towns, now.

We received a message that a village well off the Highway, back against the forested hills, where my wife has some old friends from girlhood, was making a special effort to raise the money to roof a bot (ordination hall) that they are having built at their temple. They were looking for sponsors at 10 baht per tile. My wife got busy and raised 100 tiles each from our younger son in Bangkok, our older son who is a newsreader in Udon, from me, and from the housekeeping.

So off we went to the festivities. We were too late for the parade round the village with the banana-tree stems holding all the split canes with banknotes in them and the dancing in procession, but in time for the formal donation to the abbot. Bless them, they produced a plastic chair for me to sit on during the service, once I had wai-ed to the monk.

The temple grounds were throbbing. I love the way it is all mixed up. Concert party on stage, kiddies roundabouts, formal religous tableaus and ceremonies, and lots of eating and drinking.

You have reminded me to take a look at the video that I took and the stills. If any are any good, I'll post them here later.

[/quote

And i thought all the action was at suk, soi 4,

ah well looks like i will have to go burrirum next year

[IMChris]

Hello all...I just got back from Thailand. Our Songkran was spent in the country for the frist 2 days and then we filled up a pickup truck with drunk Thais and 50 gal pot of water and headed for Korat. I rode shotgun thank god because water thrown at you going 80km/hr hurts like hel_l. We even had a death in the Village with a gal getting knocked off her bike with a bucket of water breaking her neck. Even if you went on a long drive in the back country there would be small gangs of Kids with loaud speakers every mile or so splashing water and patting talc on your cheeks.. hel_l even when it was raining very hard they still were throwing water on us. It would be like having a New Years party and a 4th of July party and Hollowen and took acid all rolled up in one BIG PARTY. You have to experience it to belive what you see.