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This New Year is anything but dry...
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When the 14th century English poet Chaucer wrote that in England "April is the cruelest month," he might as well have been writing about Southeast Asia, because, indeed, this time of year in that part of the world is just that – cruelly hot.
So splashing water is an integral part of any celebration.
Youngsters sprinkle water on adults as a sign of respect, although they often get a bit carried away. Water is also used to cleanse the images of Buddha, the most important spiritual figure in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
The Thai New Year is always celebrated April 12, 13 and 14. The Lao New Year, April 13-15. At the heart of each are the festivals featuring a lot of splashing of water. Thais call their water festival Songkran, meaning to "move" or "change place because April 14 is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac. Laotians call their water festival Pee Mai.
Both also celebrate the ritual of the tying of strings. So if you're at any of the festivals around San Diego County in the weeks ahead, and someone offers to tie a string around your wrist, know that it is an expression of good wishes for the new year.
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Water festivals and a lot more will be celebrated throughout San Diego County at three major celebrations. The first is the Lao New Year Celebration and Cultural Fair on Saturday, April 14, beginning 10 a.m. at Wat Lao Boubpharam, 205 N. 65th St. in San Diego, followed by the Lao Community Cultural Center's "Preservation of Lao Cultural Heritage," beginning 11 a.m. Saturday, April 21, at the Martin Luther King Park and Recreation Center, 6401 Skyline Drive in San Diego. The month ends with the Thai Songkran Festival, beginning 10 a.m. Sunday, April 29 at the Thai Buddhist Temple, 139 W. 11th Ave. in Escondido.
The Thai celebration typically opens with a procession carrying a statue of the Buddha, while one of the highlights of the Lao celebration is the baci, or "su-kwan" ceremony. In the baci, a respected older person, in a loud voice, calls out to the spirits that watch over each of the body's 32 organs to end their wandering and join those present so they may bring well-being and happiness.
Traditional music and dance, parades, talent shows, ethnic foods, pageants and the traditional Laotian release of doves into the air will also mark festivities.
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