Can you tell them what's going on?

  Songkran festival in Thailand

ที่มา : Internet

           Can you tell them what's going on?We get a lot of international visitors to visit in Thailand . Some of themmay be quite confused by what's going on here at this time of year. 

         If you are a Thai ,you might think of how you can explain to our international visitors what is happening. Can you answer the questions a foreigner might have when they see these photos? If you can't, I have thought of some possible answers for you.

           เนื้อหาสำหรับกลุ่มสาระการเรียนรู้ภาษาต่างประเทศ  ระดับชั้น มัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 3  หรือช่วงชั้นที่ 3-4

Songkran festival in Thailand

        Songkran is a Thai traditional New Year which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for 3 days.
Songkran festival on April 13 is Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end of the old year, 
April 14 is Wan Nao which is the day after and April 15 is Wan Thaloeng Sok which the New Year begins.
At this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival. Thus, when the time come, Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted city.Songkran is a Thai word which means "move" or "change place" as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac. 
        It is also known as the "Water Festival" as people believe that water will wash away bad luck.
The Songkran tradition is recognized as a valuable custom for the Thai community, society and religions. 
The value for family is to provide the opportunity for family members to gather in order to express their respects to the elders by pouring scented water onto the hands of their parents and grandparents and to present them gifts including making merits to dedicate the result to their ancestors. The elders in return wish the youngsters good luck and prosperity.
      The values for community is to provide the opportunity to create unity in the community such as to jointly acquire merits, to meet each other and to enjoy the entertaining events. And for the society value is to create concern upon environment with cooperation such as to clean houses, temples, public places and official buildings. Thais value the religion bye means of merits acquisition, offerings alms to monks, Dhamma Practice, listening to sermon and monks-bathing.In the afternoon, after performing a bathing rite for Buddha images and the monks, the celebrants both young and old, joyfully splash water oon each other. The most-talked about celebration takes place in the northern province of Chiang Mai where Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15.
         During this period, people from all parts of the country flock there to enjoy the water festival,
to watch the Miss Songkran Contest and the beautiful parades.In Bangkok, the Buddha image"Buddhasihing" is brought out from the National Museum for people to sprinkle lustral water at Sanam Luang, opposite the Grand Palace.

1. What's happening in the first photo? Do Thai people always act this way? Why is the man doing that to her?
          A : The man is pouring water over the woman. People only do this during the Songkran holidays in April each year. Thais believe that water washes away bad luck.

2.  Who are those boys? Why is their hair so short?
         A : They are young Buddhist novices. They live in a temple and wear the same colour robes as the monks. And they keep their hair very short too. They, too, can have fun during Songkran.

3. Could this happen to me if I come here to Thailand?
        A : Yes, it could if you come during Songkran and you go for a walk where people are celebrating.

4. What's happening to her?
        A : He is putting some nice smelling powder on her face. This happens everywhere you go during Songkran.

5. Can foreigners join in? Can they spray Thai people to make them wet too?
        A : Yes, they can -- and they do too.

6. Surely, I can't do something like this! Won't I get put in jail?
        A : Don't worry. You won't get put in jail. Everyone joins in the fun during Songkran -- even the Thai police.

7. What are they doing here? Are they helping to make something?
        A : No, they aren't making anything. They are trying to do a bamboo dance. They need to have fast feet or they will be pinched by the bamboo poles.

8. I think I have seen that man before. Is he famous? Who is he? 
        A : That is Thaksin Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of Thailand. He was celebrating Songkran in his home province of Chiang Mai.

9. Is that man crazy? Does he really think he can stay dry?
        A : No, he's not crazy. He's knows he's going to get wet. He's just having fun.

10. This photo looks quite different. What is happening here?
      A : That is a nice Songkran tradition. Young children pour water over the hands of old people. It wouldn't be proper to spray them like you do to people on the streets, would it?

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https://sunsite.au.ac.th/thailand/special_event/songkran/

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