APA Employee Impact Group Celebrates Water Festival

Mid-April, starting around April 13, marks the beginning of New Year for Southeast Asians. Known as “Pee mai” in Lao, or “Songkran” in Thai, the New Year is based on the traditional solar new year, that was observed in parts of India and Asia.

In recognition of the Pee mai/Songkra, the Asian Pacific Americans Employee Impact Group released a video discussing the Water Festival's traditions and impact on Southeast Asian peoples.

The Water Festival celebrations typically include:

• Blessings from the Elderly: On the first day of Pee Mai/Songkran, families typically spend time together, gathering in the morning to honor the elderly. Younger family members show humility by gently pouring a bowl of water on the palms of their elders' hands. Then, the older relatives offer blessings to the younger ones.
• Bathing the Buddha: Many people will visit temples during Pee Mai/Songkran. In addition to taking part in Buddhist ceremonies and giving alms to the monks as a form of "merit making," (doing good deeds) they'll take part in the "Bathing the Buddha" ritual. They bathe Buddha statues, at home or at the temple, with bowls of water in order to purify the spirit.
• Temple Fair: Family time continues at the temple fair, when people are encouraged to continue to "make merit" by playing carnival-type games. The money raised from playing the games goes toward supporting and maintaining the temples.
• Building Sand Pagodas: People return sand to the temple to maintain the grounds and show deep respect for the place of worship. This is done to restore the sand that was taken away on the bottom of people’s feet as they visited the temple throughout the year. Each family comes with sand or purchases it at the temple, and then sandcastles can be built.
• Water Fight: People believe that water is spiritually purifying: it cleanses one of bad luck or grievances from the past year and blesses one with fortune and happiness for the year ahead.