VIDEO LETTER FROM ASIA
Wet all over: Songkran and the world’s largest water-gun fight
Thailand’s annual Songkran Festival, a national holiday, begins April 13 and runs, officially, for a week, but unofficially for three weeks, extended from the previous mere three days, so that people would have time to make it home from wherever they were, to soak each other.
This unusual but glorious tradition is marked by unquestionably the world’s largest water fight, where everyone squirts and throws copious amounts of water, in whatever way they can, at everyone else. Songkran originally celebrated Thai New Year, lined up to be with other New Years across Southeast Asia, but now Thailand celebrates New Year on January 1st, like most of the world.
Ostensibly, the festival is part absolution — the symbolism of drenching each other is washing away your sins of the previous year in a nationwide, open air, non-judgemental confessional. But mostly, really, it’s just a lot of fun. While, I suppose, cleaning the slate for a whole new year of sinning!
Our intrepid Asian Editor, Mike Ragsdale, who moves in mysterious ways as you may well know — showing up here, showing up there, showing up in the office never — participated in last year’s grand battle of the streets in Bangkok with his wife Angela. This is his video report.
Bob Guccione, Jr
