Dubai Even if they're far from home, there was no stopping the Thai community in Dubai in celebrating the Songkran Festival or traditional Thai New Year with much fervour Friday.
Splashes of water, powder and sumptuous Thai food greeted every guest at the Royal Thai Consulate-General of Dubai.
The Songkran Festival is the most widely celebrated festival in Thailand. It is also observed in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. Songkran is a Sanskrit word which means the "beginning of a new solar year."
"Today, we just want to have our Thai customs to keep it alive in Dubai so that many of the young people here will know that this is the traditional Thai New Year," Thai Consul-General to the UAE Chalotorn Phaovibul told Gulf News.
Celebrated every 13th of April and lasts for three to ten days, the Songkran Festival is a time for family and friends to gather and give well wishes to each other. Families would travel to their hometowns to pay respect to the elderly.
Respecting elders
"The Songkran Festival is also a chance to give our good wishes to the elderly, for them to have a happy new year, a happy Songkran Year," Phaovibul said, adding that as part of the customs, young people pour scented water on to the elderly's hands and give them blessings. "[You put] powder and water, it's a mark of respect to the elderly," Phaovibul added.
"This festival is supposed to bring Thai people together. But because we can't go back to Thailand right now, we organised this party in Dubai so the Thai people can enjoy themselves here like a big family," Mai Raksee, vice-president of the Thai Ladies Club which organised the event, said.Currently, there are 5,500 Thai nationals across the UAE, with around 3,000 living in the UAE.
Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate-General in Dubai will be closed to the public on April 15-16.
Spring cleaning
- Songkran Festival marks the beginning of spring.
- Water is mostly used to celebrate this festival.
- Thais believe that during Songkran, all old and useless things should be thrown away.
