The start of Songkran marks the Thai traditional new year where people from different parts of Thailand return home to gather with family, to pay respect to their elders, and to catch up and celebrate with their relatives for the new year.
Instead, this year may well be the driest Songkran in memory due to the government’s measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus virus.
The government has asked Thais to refrain from all forms of gatherings and festivities, including the traditional water pouring ceremony, Rod Nam Dum Hua Poo Yai (รดน้ำดำหัวผู้ใหญ่), that many Thai households perform to pay respects to their elderly relatives and ask for their blessings.
Needless to say, large scale water festivals and village-wide binge drinking parties are also supposed to stop.
Will there be those who defy the government measures? Of course. But for most of us, this Songkran is a sober reminder of the reality that we collectively face.
This is a time where people are united in their hardship regardless of income brackets.
There are those with real problems like people who are struggling or unable to provide for their families economically (with ineffective government assistance) or unable to return home to meet their parents despite being away for some time.
There are also more trivial problems like families who have had their vacations canceled and teenagers bummed out about not partying and meeting friends.
Regardless of privilege and circumstance, people are understandably downtrodden that Songkran has been canceled.
As we experience this year’s Songkran without splashes or people dancing in front of their houses to Thai house music with water guns, powder bowls, and water hoses at the ready, it is worth observing the quiet nature of this holiday as people are contributing where they can to help flatten the curve.
While it is understandable to feel down through it all, the lack of festivities is actually a cause for celebration.
It shows both the responsibility that one has towards society and our love for our families.
We see this through our collective understanding of using masks, hand sanitizers, social distancing when we are out buying necessary supplies (and not hoarding them), and helping the needy with donations, supplies and food boxes.
We see it in actual statistics, Monday’s 28 new coronavirus infections are the lowest total for nearly a month showing that Thais are effectively ‘flattening the curve.’
And we see it in the preservation of our loved ones and elders, who through our collective action, can enjoy their greener pastures in peace.
