Celebrated during the auspicious month of April, the New Year Festival is a very important national holiday for both Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka. Who celebrates it The solor festival is celebrated by both the Sinhala Buddhist and Tamil Hindu Communities. What it’s About Unlike western celebration where the New Year is celebrated at midnight on 31st of December, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is determined by astrological signs and is celebrated when the sun moves from the House of Pisces to the House of Aries. Traditional Customs and Rituals The rituals and customs followed by the Sinhala Buddhist community are similar to those observed by the Tamil Hindus. A variety of rituals such lighting the fire in the hearth, preparing …

Thailand is renowned for its culture, and there’s so much to experience where that is concerned. One of the best, and most famous, festivals that happen in Thailand is Songkran. What is Songkran? Songkran is derived from the ancient Sanskrit word, Sankranti, and is a reference to the traditional New Year that is celebrated in South Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. So it’s an International Thing? The traditional New Year is celebrated in many ways throughout the world, in nations such as Sri Lanka, for example, it’s the ‘Sinhalese New Year’, in Myanmar it’s called ‘Thingyan’. Only Laos and Thailand refer to the occasion as Songkran. Songkran in Thailand Since Songkran is associated with purification and washing away of bad luck and …

Thailand’s Songkran celebrations have become famous throughout the world, especially since the nation breaks into a massive water fight with people of all ages taking part in the festivities. Songkran This is the name for the traditional New Year that is celebrated in many countries across South Asia, which includes Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Cambodia. The Festivities Songkran is associated with purity and the washing away of past misdeeds, which is where the water aspect comes in. Many would visit temples, pour water on Buddhist statues, as well as loved ones are common practices. The Water Fights The ‘water festival’ is mostly celebrated by young people, and entire streets tend to get closed off to cater to this massive celebration that has become world-renowned, …