ICU Songkran

Songkran in Chiang Mai was totally and completely ridiculous. I had an amazing time. I think the entire city had an amazing time. We woke up Monday morning, squirt guns ready and not quite sure what to expect. We got into the sungtow and it was no more that 10 minutes into our drive when we were completely soaked. Stepping out of the car and into the traffic packed streets by Tophae Gate was like stepping into an alternative universe. The entire city was out, soaking wet, drunk, and smiling. Walking up the street we were immediately met with playful buckets of water and eager farang with huge water guns that made me remember summers in my backyard as a kid.

There was zero evidence of the religious meaning to the holiday and was very apparent that the entire city of Chiang Mai had all but forgotten the reason behind the festivities. Songkran, the Thai New Year, is supposed to be a time of renewal and cleansing of the spirit (hence the inescapable city-wide soak). A traditional instance is the parading of the city’s Buddha images so that people make sprinkle water onto them and hence clean the Buddha, receiving merit. Water was originally used as a way to symbolically cleanse and respect elders and family members by dripping water onto them. This practice evolved into the all out water wars of modern Songkran.

A celebration of this magnitude and chaos could never happen in America. There are too many restrictions and the general population is too nervous and uptight to ever let go and have that much fun. When we arrived at the airport to depart for Thailand, I remember Evie’s father explaining that ‘in Thailand, everyone just seems to do whatever they want…’ and I feel that Songkran was the epitome of this statement.

I ended the festival exhausted, drenched, and down one cell phone. I thoroughly enjoyed the festivities and hope to participate again one day.