Water Festival
In Asia, countries like Thailand,[1] Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Xishuangbanna Prefecture and Dehong regions of China celebrate their respective new years with lively water festivals such as Songkran, Bunpimay, Thingyan, and Chaul Chnam Thmey.
Beyond Southeast Asia and China, other countries have their own unique water-themed celebrations, from the Holi festival of colors in India to the Water Battle of Spain.
[2] The festival is common throughout mainland Southeast Asia and has different names specific to each country, such as Peemai or Songkran (New Year) in Thailand and Laos, Chaul Chnam Thmey in Cambodia, and Thingyan in Myanmar.
In Thailand, Songkran refers to the sun’s annual passing into the Aries constellation, the first sign of the Zodiac, which marks the traditional start of the new year.
Occurring in mid-April after the rice harvest, it is a time when people reunite with their families and pay their respects to older adults, ancestors and sacred Buddha images.
The festival lasts for two days, with the first evening marked by the lighting of bonfires, symbolizing the burning of winter and evil forces.
The main day involves people throwing colored powders and water at each other, creating a vibrant and joyous atmosphere across the community.
Families and friends gather to share food, drinks (notably a traditional cannabis-infused beverage called 'bhang'), and sweets.
It is the most important festival observed by the Dai ethnic people of Dehong Prefecture, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, and, similar to its direct neighbour Laos' Songkran festival, it involves three days of celebrations that include sincere, yet light-hearted religious rituals that invariably end in merrymaking, where everyone ends up getting splashed, sprayed or doused with water.
The completion of the 'Bathing the Buddha' ritual serves as the signal that encourages ordinary mortals to themselves engage in mutual water splashing.
Accordingly, people flock to the streets with pots, pans, bottles, or whatever, where they uninhibitedly splash, spray and douse each other with water, with the same gusto with which Westerners engage in a good snowball free-for-all.
On the first day of the festival, Dai people race dragon boats and light fireworks (made of bamboo) for good luck in the coming years.
On one hand, the current regulations on the safety management of folk activities are rather general and lack specific guidelines for the safe conduct of the Water-Splashing Festival, making it difficult to effectively curb excessive revelry in practice.
On the other hand, during the festival, the safety supervision forces in some areas were clearly insufficient, with inadequate patrols and lenient penalties for violations, failing to form an effective deterrent.
These issues highlight the shortcomings of the current safety management system in handling large-scale folk activities, urgently calling for improvements and reinforcements.
Local culture and tourism bureaus have taken further steps, such as positioning law enforcement officers at various scenic spots to monitor for any inappropriate behaviors and intervene when necessary.
These approaches not only aims to curb any uncivilized actions but also provides a point of contact for tourists and participants to report any issues they encounter.
Recent years have witnessed an obvious increase in tourism in Yunnan during the annual Water Festival, driven by heightened global interest in traditional Chinese cultures and targeted promotional efforts.
Origins: "La Batalla del Agua," also known as the Water Battle, is a unique festival celebrated in Lanjarón, Spain.
The event is accompanied by other festive activities including parades, music, and dancing, culminating in a communal environment filled with joy and excitement.
Local bars and restaurants participate actively, hosting visitors and providing respite with traditional foods and drinks.
During festivals, along the roads, many young people use spray hoses, brasses, and buckets to splash water on passersby.
