When people celebrate in Thailand, they do it right: the colourful and sometimes downright shrill festivals let the joie de vivre bubble over. Most celebrations, which often have a Buddhist background, are relatively unknown in our culture. The happiness of the Thais during the exuberant celebrations is contagious, and so it is no wonder that many European tourists would like to be there.
Some foreigners visit Thailand solely for its casinos and therefore do not go out on the streets. This is a real waste. It is better to pick up the online casino deutschland freispiele ohne einzahlung for the online casino and enjoy the colorful festivals. Spring in Thailand offers some opportunities for this. Here are 5 suggestions for unforgettable spring festivals and festivals!
By the way: The exact dates have to be researched year after year, because the holiday calendar is based on the lunar cycle.
Asean Barred Ground Pigeon Festival (March)
The Thais love pigeons. Probably, as in many other parts of the world, they are considered lucky charms. The bird has great cultural significance in Thailand, which is why it is also called an annual festival. This usually takes place in March and is a real magnet for visitors. Pigeon fanciers and onlookers from near and far come to Yala, where not only the most beautiful specimens (of the pigeons, not the visitors!) are awarded, but also the best bird cages and last but not least the most beautiful cooing.
If you can’t make it to the pigeon festival, you could also choose Chiang Mai as a destination and have a souvenir photo taken with pigeons on the historic city wall “Tha Phae Gate”. For a fee of about 20 Baht, locals can be hired to scare up the fat and ponderous birds for the perfect photo setting, which gives the picture a portion of dynamism.
Songkran Festival (April)
The New Year in Thailand is heralded by the Songkran Festival, the water festival. According to the Thai lunar calendar, the turn of the year takes place around the April 13 and means that the Sun enters the zodiac sign Aries. In preparation, there is a big spring cleaning every year on April 12, during which the traces of the old year are to be washed away. Buddha statues are solemnly driven through the cities so that they can be showered by the faithful. This is followed by the three-day celebrations that focus on water.
The festival is characterized by many wet rituals. For example, the younger people carefully pour water over the hands of the seniors to show their respect. But there are also much wilder customs to observe or experience. If you go to the Songkran Festival in a Thai city, you are guaranteed not to stay dry, because every passer-by is doused with water pistols, hoses or buckets of water and of course can also take part in the huge water fight.
Visakha Bucha (May)
Visakha Bucha Day, also known as the Vesakh Festival, is the highest Buddhist holiday. The three most important events in the life of the Buddha are celebrated, namely his birth, his enlightenment and nirvana. All over Thailand, believers make pilgrimages to temples where monks preach, hold memorial ceremonies and collect donations. Very interesting are the candlelight processions, in which the Buddhists walk around the temple three times with candles and three incense sticks in their hands and make a wish.
Tourists especially love the candle procession “Wiang Tian”, where incense and candles are burned until the whole area smells of it. There is a huge celebration on the Esplanade Sanam Luang in Bangkok. In the middle of the square is the Buddha statue, while all around the monks and other people pray. Tourists who behave respectfully are allowed to attend the service. Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, is just as impressive. A huge procession of lights leads out of the city to the holy mountain to the temple complex Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
Visakha Bucha Day is not to be understood as a party, but as a religious and very important festival, where there is an absolute ban on alcohol throughout the country. So if you want to celebrate exuberantly and experience bars or future top casinos , it’s better to stay a few days longer to treat yourself to the contrast to the devotional light rituals.
Bun Bang Fai (May)
Bun Bang Fai is an annual festival that is always celebrated for three days at the beginning of the rainy season in May. The largest Bun Bang Fai is celebrated in Yasothon, a town in northeastern Thailand where many Laos live. The three days of the festival are always prepared with a lot of effort. Roads will be closed because they have to make room for some grandstands. At the same time, visitors get into the mood by filling the area with the folk music of Isaan via loudspeakers. Everywhere people are already drinking, celebrating and laughing. Even the first holiday is a spectacle and many visitors from near and far watch the hustle and bustle.
- Traditional music will be played
- The traditional dance Mor Lam is performed
- The first fireworks rockets are fired
- There are beautiful parades with colorful costumes
On the second holiday, there are many competitions where the best musicians, dancers and floats are chosen. The entire area turns into one big party mile. On the third day, the characteristic, self-made firework rockets are used. The rockets, all self-made and mostly filled with black powder, are also the subject of numerous competitions. Some of the rockets are huge and therefore very dangerous, but nevertheless this tradition is an integral part of Thai culture and of course also attracts guests from other countries.
Phi Ta Khon (March – June)
The Phi Ta Khon is better known in this country under the name “ghost festival”. The background to this festival is also religious, as the return of Buddha in the form of his incarnation Prince Vessandorn is celebrated. This prince was revered and loved by the people, but one day he swung himself on his white elephant and left the kingdom. In Thailand, white elephants are absolute symbols of good luck, which is why the disappearance of the animal terrified people. However, the prince turned back, which caused the people to celebrate so loudly that even the ghosts were awakened by it.
Since then, the festival has been celebrated year after year in the province of Loei, more precisely Dan Sai, and attracts guests from every corner of Thailand and from all over the world. For three days, there will be loud celebrations, with ghost costumes and colorful masks not to be missed. People hope that this will protect them from evil spirits.
