Thai New Year
When is Thai New Year?
Each year between April 13th and 15th.
What Thai New Year celebrates
Thai New Year or Songkran is an ancient festival of blessing.
Originally, the festival had bathing and water at its heart. People would bathe the hands of their older relatives and of monks as a mark of respect. Statues of the Buddha would also be bathed.
In recent times, this bathing tradition has developed into spectacular mass-soakings on the streets where everyone sprays everyone else with water guns and even garden hoses. In Thailand, the festival takes place at the hottest time of summer, so the water fun makes more sense there than it would on the UK's chilly April streets!
Thai New Year has a strong theme of respect for family - especially the more elderly members - so you may want to make your meal a big family occasion.
Here are a few fun ideas to celebrate
- Flowers are an important part of the Songkran tradition. Decorate your table and room with them if you can.
- Give all your guests a gift of a single flower.
- Traditionally everyone will wear new clothes for the celebration (the perfect excuse for a shopping trip!).
- Burning delicate incense will help to create a wonderfully relaxed mood.
How to create a Thai New Year meal
The idea is for everyone to take their time and try a little of all those big, restaurant-style Thai taste sensations. Here's how to do it:
- Asian-style food warmers are widely available. These are a great investment for keeping any kind of Asian-style food warm at the table. Place these in the centre of the table. Bring each dish from the kitchen on a serving plate and place it on a warmer.
- Thai culture values simplicity and ideally your meal will be served in plain (white is ideal) serving dishes onto plain plates.
- Bring each dish from the kitchen in a serving bowl and place it on a warmer.
- Each person takes a portion of rice and then a spoonful of each of the dishes you present, which is then mixed with the rice.
- Unlike other parts of Asia where chopsticks are used, Thai food is eaten with a spoon and fork - the fork is used to place the food onto the spoon.
Happy Thai New Year!
Recipes from Thailand