Songkran: The Buddhist New Year

Songkran is the Buddhist New Year celebrated in Thailand in the month of April. Thais have a unique way of celebrating this festival, they spray water everywhere and on everyone!

Songkran lasts for three days during which life comes to a standstill as all the businesses, government offices, schools etc are closed and those working in other cities return to their native towns to celebrate the New Year.

Water holds great significance and is considered a purifier which washes away misfortunes and bad luck. The houses are thoroughly cleaned before Songkran. People go to temples where the images of Buddha are bathed by pouring scented water from silver bowls. After that it is water splashing time as young, old, priests, policemen, locals and foreigners are sprayed with water. You can see people armed with water guns, spray guns, hoses, bottles etc throwing water on each other. This activity continues from dawn to dusk.

Besides merry making, there is a sober side to the festival as well. Thai youngsters sprinkle water onto the hands of their elders (parents and grandparents) as a mark of reverence. The elders in turn bless them and wish them prosperity and good health. Monks are also presented with new robes.

A Miss Songkran Beauty Contest and colorful parades are also a part of the festival.

Sangha Day

The Sangha Day is also known as the Magha Puja Day and is the second most important event of the Buddhist calendar. The Sangha Day is celebrated to commemorate the unplanned gathering of around 1250 monks on a full moon night in Veluvana Vihara. Here the Buddha delivered a sermon in which he outlined a code of conduct for the monks.

Although widely believed that Sangha Day is mostly meant for monks and nuns, the Buddhist people all over the world celebrate it to reaffirm their obligations towards Buddhist beliefs and practices. The festival is given more importance in the west than in the east. It is celebrated on the full moon in November. The festivities include exchanging of gifts, lighting oil lamps, chanting, and meditations. Religious discussions and talks from senior citizens are also a feature of this festival. All of these are ways to reconfirm their Buddhist faith which is the essence of the festival.

Kathina Day

Kathina Day is an important and auspicious day in the Buddhist calendar. On this day, the Buddhist people assemble in the temples and offer robes and other gifts to the monks.

Kathina is a Pali word used for the wooden frame on which the monks used to sew the scraps of clothes to make their robes. Although the robes today are made of new cloth, they are made from fourteen patches to keep the tradition alive.

Kathina was initiated by Lord Buddha for the benefit of the monks who had observed the Vassa retreat. The Vassa retreat begins from the full moon of July till the full moon of October. As this is also the rainy season, it is also known as the rainy retreat. During this period a Sangha community (group of 5 or more monks) is supposed to stay in a temple (Vihara) continuously to meditate and practice self discipline.

When the monks come out of retreat which is somewhere in November, the Kathina Ceremony is held in which common people donate robe cloth and other basic necessities to the monks as gifts. This is followed by a feast. In the evening, the special Kathina robe known as the Kathina Cheevera is presented to the most suitable monk who has observed the Vassa Retreat. The Sangha chooses the monk who deserves the robe. The monk the carries the robe with him for three months where ever he goes.

Kathina originated when a group of monks came to visit Buddha. Their robes were muddy and drenched as they did not have an extra set to change. On the suggestion of a common devotee, Buddha allowed the common people to provide robes to the monks thus initiating Kathina.

Nowadays ready made robes are offered but back in the days of Buddha, white cloth, was collected by the common people, which was then cut, dyed and sewn into robes by the Sangha within one day. On Kathina Day itself, there’s a special Kathina robe (called Kathina Cheevera) which is offered to the most suitable monk who has observed Vassa. The monk must then take it along everywhere with him for three months.

Kathina ceremony promotes generosity and selflessness. It also provides an opportunity to the people to gain spirituality.