instagram:Southeast Asia Celebrates the New Year Explore more photos from celebrations throughout
instagram: Southeast Asia Celebrates the New Year Explore more photos from celebrations throughout Southeast Asia by browsing these hashtags: #Songkran (Thailand & Cambodia), #Songkan (Laos), and #Thingyan (Burma). Countries throughout Southeast Asia are celebrating the New Year this weekend! Known as Songkran (สงกรานต์ & សង្រ្កាន្) in Thailand & Cambodia, Songkan (ສົງການ) in Laos, and Thingyan (သင်္ကြန်) in Burma, the several-day celebration was once determined by the lunar calendar, but now regularly begins on April 12 or 13. The event’s festivities are rooted in Buddhism and vary from country to country. The most common ritual involves large crowds of people dousing one another with water. Other customs include lighting candles and incense at Buddhist shrines, making charitable contributions to the poor and cleansing icons of the Buddha. If you’re planning to participate in the water throwing festivities, you may want to make sure your phone is waterproof! -- source link