Songkran (Thialand)
On April 13th is the Thai New Year and this New Year is celebrated by all the Thai people, no matter the age , gender or amount of money they have they all come together to celebrate all through the entire country. This tradition of Thailand was adopted form the ancient Brahmins who lived in India and they were believers of the sun re-entering the Aries and finishing the orbit around the earth on April 13th. The legend says that there was a god who went by the name of Kabilla Phhrom and he was in love with betting. One day he was told about a young seven year old boy who went by the name of Thammabal Kumara. This young boy was known to be able to recite scriptures in front of people. So Kabilla wanted to test Thammabal to see how much he really knew. With that he came to the boy with the riddles and if and only if Thammabal could solve all thee riddles Kabilla would had the boy his head. But if the boy failed he would lose his head to Kabilla and he had only seven days to come up with the answers.
Here were the three riddles:
"Where did a person's aura exist in the morning, where was it at noon, and where did it appear at night?"
Thammabal took six days to think about these riddles but he did not know the answers. One day he overheard a pair of female and males eagles joking about Thammabal not knowing there answers and how they would soon enjoy feasting upon it, but within there conversation they disclosed the answers. The day came and Thammabal repeated all that he overheard in regards to the answers, to Kabilla. He told Thammabal that during the night the aura appeared upon the face so it was washed. At noon the aura then appeared upon the chest, so perfume was worn. Then at night again to the feet the aura moved, so a bath was taken. The answers were correct, kabilla kept to his word and cut his heat off. The only catch was, was the things that came along with the head of Kabilla. The earth will catch on fire if it touches the ground. There will be no rain if it is left in the air and the sea would dry up if it is dropped into it. To keep the earth safe of such a tragedy Kabillas' seven daughters kept their fathers head on a footed try and they carried it around Mount Sumeru before they set in a cave at Mount Krailat along with many offerings.
So every new year when the Songkran Day the daughters take their turn on carrying the head around Mount Sumeru. There are seven ladies of the Songkran festival are each named after the seven days of the week. Each year Songkran Day will fall on one of the days of the week. People throw water on the day of the festival in celebration of a new beginning.
Here were the three riddles:
"Where did a person's aura exist in the morning, where was it at noon, and where did it appear at night?"
Thammabal took six days to think about these riddles but he did not know the answers. One day he overheard a pair of female and males eagles joking about Thammabal not knowing there answers and how they would soon enjoy feasting upon it, but within there conversation they disclosed the answers. The day came and Thammabal repeated all that he overheard in regards to the answers, to Kabilla. He told Thammabal that during the night the aura appeared upon the face so it was washed. At noon the aura then appeared upon the chest, so perfume was worn. Then at night again to the feet the aura moved, so a bath was taken. The answers were correct, kabilla kept to his word and cut his heat off. The only catch was, was the things that came along with the head of Kabilla. The earth will catch on fire if it touches the ground. There will be no rain if it is left in the air and the sea would dry up if it is dropped into it. To keep the earth safe of such a tragedy Kabillas' seven daughters kept their fathers head on a footed try and they carried it around Mount Sumeru before they set in a cave at Mount Krailat along with many offerings.
So every new year when the Songkran Day the daughters take their turn on carrying the head around Mount Sumeru. There are seven ladies of the Songkran festival are each named after the seven days of the week. Each year Songkran Day will fall on one of the days of the week. People throw water on the day of the festival in celebration of a new beginning.