Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - Songkran

Starting point is 00:00:00 Song Kran is the traditional festival celebrated in Thailand that marks the start of the Thai New Year. It's also known as the Water Festival, as it involves splashing water on one another as a symbolic gesture of cleansing and washing away the sins and bad luck of the previous year. However, it has since evolved into something much more than a religious observance. It has become the world's biggest water fight. Learn more about Songkran, the Thai New Year celebration, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Do you ever climb into bed ready to sleep only to have your mind start racing the moment your head hits the pillow? Thoughts bouncing around, replaying the day, or jumping ahead to tomorrow? That is exactly why Catherine Nikolai created Nothing Much Happens.

Starting point is 00:00:53 Each episode is a gentle, cozy bedtime story where, well, nothing much happens. No drama, no tension, nothing you need to follow closely. Just soft narration, calming repetition, and soothing sensory details designed to help your mind slow down and your body relax. It's not about entertainment, it's about rest. And millions of listeners around the world use it every night to quiet their thoughts and finally fall asleep. If you've ever struggled to shut your brain off at night, this might be exactly what you've been missing.

Starting point is 00:01:21 You can listen to Nothing Much Happens wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are every Monday and Thursday. I will often toss a personal anecdote into episodes, but for this episode, I want to start with one. In 2010, I was in Bangkok on the first day of Songkran. I walked out of my hotel in the morning to walk over to a convenience store one block away. I knew it was Sondcran, but I had no idea what that really meant. As I was walking down the street, a woman who I had never seen before in my life,

Starting point is 00:01:59 walked up to me, pulled the collar of my shirt out, and then proceeded to dump a bucket of water down my shirt and said in English, Happy New Year. I found out in my first steps out the door just what Sondcran was about. Getting water dumped down my shirt was the first of many wet Songran experiences I had over the next several days. So what exactly is Songran and what does it have to do with dumping water on strangers? The Thai New Year celebration actually has ancient roots. Mainland Southeast Asia has often been referred to as Indo-China.

Starting point is 00:02:34 It's a term that isn't used as much anymore, but it reflects the fact that India and China have heavily influenced the region. However, all of the countries in the region weren't influenced by India and China equally. Countries like Vietnam were more influenced by China, mainly due to geography. Countries like Burma and Thailand were more influenced by India. The traditional New Year's Day in India was calculated when the sun entered the constellation of Ares. Centuries ago, this occurred right around the spring equinox, so determining the new year by calculating the position of the sun against the constellations made sense. Over time, however, the procession of the earth resulted in the sun entering the constellation

Starting point is 00:03:14 Ares weeks after the equinox. They stuck with the movement of the sun as the definition of the new year, not the equinox. The name of the sun's entrance into the constellation Ares in Sanskrit is messa-sencrati, which is the origin of the word Sankran. As Hinduism spread eastward into Southeast Asia, the tradition of determining the new year came with it. Today, almost every Buddhist and Hindu country in South and Southeast Asia has some celebration around the same time.

Starting point is 00:03:46 In Thailand, it's Sankran. In Myanmar, it's Thingian. In Cambodia, it's Chul-Tanamthamai. And in Laos, it's Pai Mai. Some of you might be wondering, but Gary, Southeast Asia, isn't Hindu, it's Buddhist. To which I would reply, you are correct. But the entire region used to be profoundly Hindu. Angor in Cambodia, the Mysong Sanctuary in Vietnam, and Prombinand in Indonesia were all ancient

Starting point is 00:04:13 Hindu temples. The last vestiges of Hinduism in the region are on the island of Bali. Buddhism has existed in the region almost since the religion began, but it was only in the last thousand years or so that Theraveda Buddhism became dominant in places such as Burma and Thailand. The Buddhists kept the practice of celebrating New Year when the sun entered the constellation of varies. While Buddhists kept the date, they added more traditions to the New Year celebrations. In particular, for the purpose of this episode, they use the New Year as an opportunity to clean temples as well as the statues of the Buddha. In particular, they used water to clean the statues, as water is a way to wash off the old year. Temples and statues aren't the only things clean

Starting point is 00:04:58 during Sankran. It's an excuse to clean homes, offices, and schools as well. And it's also the time of year when people will travel to be reunited with their families. People will visit temples, make offerings of food, as well as give food to monks. Different regions in Thailand will have their own particular tradition surrounding Sankran. In the east, pagodas or stupas made out of sand will be constructed. These can be enormous structures that are only temporary. In other places, they will have colorful parades and instill other regions the practice of releasing fish and birds into the wild takes place. Songran became. so popular in Thailand that the government officially expanded Songkran to three days,

Starting point is 00:05:39 setting the dates from April 12th to the 14th in most years. However, the starting and ending dates can vary by a day. The celebrations which are held around South and Southeast Asia all occur on April 13th or 14th, depending on the country. Many of the celebrations, especially those in Southeast Asia, are very similar to the traditions found in Thailand. However, none of what I have mentioned so far can explain why someone would walk up to a stranger and pour a bucket of water down their shirt. All of the things I've mentioned so far are traditions that are not very visible.

Starting point is 00:06:15 If you happen to be in Thailand during Songkran, you will definitely know that something is happening, but it isn't for any of the reasons I've just said. In addition to washing statues with water, it's considered good luck to sprinkle water on someone's head. This tradition has somehow morphed and escalated into the entire country becoming a three-day giant water fight. A massive aquatic battle of everyone versus everyone. No one is safe and there are no excuses. The weapons in this water fight include everything from buckets and hoses to super-soakers. When I walked down the street during Sondkran, I became an unwitting combatant in a water war that I didn't know was taking place.

Starting point is 00:06:58 If you're driving down the street on a motorbike, someone will probably hit you with water, even though they probably shouldn't, more on that in a bit. There are people set up on some streets who just try to hit passers-by with water by whatever means possible. It doesn't matter if you have electronics on you that might be damaged. If you want to protect them, do not carry them out in public during Songran. When I was there in Songran in 2010, I went to participate in one of the biggest Songran events on KOSAN Road. Kosan Road in Bangkok is normally a shady place where backpackers stay and I usually did my vest to avoid it.

Starting point is 00:07:34 During Sankran, almost all the businesses on Kosan Road shut down as it has turned into the biggest street party in the city. Everyone has some sort of squirt gun. I brought my camera with me to photograph it, but nobody cared that I was carrying a sensitive piece of electronics. I had to jerry-rig water protection for my camera by putting it in a plastic bag and then attaching the opening of the bag around my lens hood. Thousands of people moved up and down the street, getting hit with water from every direction, including people with hoses from the sidelines.

Starting point is 00:08:07 In addition to the water, many people will also create a type of paste out of water and talcum powder and smear that on people as well. While Kosan Road was the epicenter for this in Bangkok, this was happening all over the country. When I was there in 2010, it was in the middle of a massive political event

Starting point is 00:08:23 known as the Red Shirt protests. Hundreds of thousands of people had descended on Bangkok to protest the government. Before everything died down in May, dozens of people would be dead and thousands injured in political violence. However, despite what was happening, both sides seemed to have come to an effective ceasefire during Sankran. Driving around the city, I saw impromptu musical performances on street corners, as well as the ever-present water guns. The same scene was taking place in cities all around the country. I should note that there is a very important. is a dark side to Sankran as well. You probably wouldn't be surprised to hear that traffic fatalities

Starting point is 00:09:01 usually double during Songran each year. Seventy to 80% of those fatalities happen on motorbikes. Thailand is a very popular tourist destination. However, during Songran, it becomes extra busy as people come to take part in the festivities. I can't say I blame them. I wasn't in Thailand for Songran, but being there for it was a unique experience and one that I'll never forget. If you're the sort of person that doesn't like having water dumped on your head by strangers, and I can totally understand if that's the case, then by all means, avoid Thailand during Sankran. However, for those of you who are in Thailand or celebrating the New Year's festivities

Starting point is 00:09:41 in any of the neighboring countries, just let me say a hearty, Sawa di Pai Mai. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Thor Thompson and Peter Bennett. I have some boostograms to share with you. Remember that boostograms are direct messages sent with small donations on new podcast apps that you can find over on new podcast apps.com. The first is a 2,500 set boost from Scott over on podverse.fm. He writes,

Starting point is 00:10:13 Thank you for all the amazing content. I love the episodes on Ramadan and Easter as they help me learn more about fascinating Muslim customs, as well as some history of my own Christian religion. Props. Thanks, Scott. I hope you also were able to learn something today about Songkran as well. I also have been getting regular 111 sad boost from Joel W, who also sent a 1000 sad boost for episode number 1,000. I also want to thank Dave Jones, Uzzah, Petar, Waldie, Amonki, Channelton O3, and many others who sent boost this week as well.

Starting point is 00:10:46 Remember, if you write a review or send me a boost, you two can have it read on the show.

Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - Songkran

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