ja_mageia

In Thailand at the moment it is the summer holidays for school students. At Sriwittayapaknam School in Samut Prakan they have just come to the end of Summer School. Next week marks the start of the Songkran Festival which is the start of the traditional Thai new year. As it is the hottest time of the year, young people like to have some fun by taking part in water fights during the three day Songkran Festival.

Traditionally, Thai people pour rose scented water over Buddha images and the hands of elders and monks. They do this in order to receive a blessing and also good luck for the new year.

Thai people also go to the temple to make merit by offering food to the monks and taking part in activities such as "chedi sai" where they build stupas out of sand.

The school invited monks from a local temple so that the students and their parents could make merit. But, the highlight for most of the students were the water fights that they took part in afterwards. Everyone had fun splashing water. This will now be a daily occurrence for the next four or five days.