Songkran

Hello. Sawasdee. My name is Mali, and I live in a warm, sunny country called Thailand. I want to tell you about my favorite time of year. It is called Songkran. Songkran is our New Year, a time for a fresh, happy start for everyone. To get ready, my family and I clean our whole house. We sweep the floors, swish-swish-swish. We wipe the windows until they sparkle. Making everything clean and new feels so good. It means we are ready for all the wonderful things the new year will bring. We are getting ready for lots of fun and big smiles.

On April 13th, the real fun begins. It is the start of our big water festival. Hooray. I grab my little red bucket, and my brother gets his water pistol. We go outside, and the streets are filled with happy people. Everyone is laughing and shouting with joy. SPLASH. I gently splash my mom with water. She laughs and splashes me back. The water is cool and feels so good in the sunshine. Splashing the water is like washing away anything sad from the old year. It is a way to wish everyone good luck and happiness for the new year. It is the biggest, happiest water game in the world.

Songkran is not just about the big splash. It is also about family and showing love. I go to see my grandpa and grandma. They have the kindest smiles. I hold a small, silver bowl with clean water and floating flower petals. The water smells so sweet. I gently pour the water over their hands. This is how I say, 'I love you,' and 'Thank you for everything.' They give me a big, warm hug. Songkran is a time for family, fun, and happy new beginnings. Now you can say our special greeting too. Sawasdee Pee Mai. That means Happy New Year.