January
1st January: New Year's Day. To greet the New Year, a range of
uniquely Thai traditional and cultural festivities are held in various
parts of the country. As day breaks on the first day of the new year
begins with the Buddhist merit-making ritual in the early hours of
the morning and is followed by afternoon and evening merry-making
and folk entertainment.
8th January: Children's Day
16th January: Teacher's Day
February
9th February: Chinese New Year's Day.
23rd February: Magha Bucha Day. This important Buddhist holy day
marks the auspicious occasion when 1,250 of Lord Buddha's adherents
spontaneously congregated to hear him give a sermon. Merit-making
ceremonies are held during the day at temples throughout the country,
while at night, triple candlelit circumambulations are staged around
major temples.
April
6th April: Chakri Day, a public holiday on 7th April to commemorate
King Rama I who was the first of the Chakri Kings.
13th-15th April: Songkran Day. The traditional Thai New Year is
an occasion for celebration throughout the country. This occasion
is marked with religious ceremonies as well as public festivities.
Water throwing among the people in a spirit of fun and goodwill
is the main activity of this festival.
May
1st May: National Labour Day.
5th May: Coronation Day, a public holiday on 6th May to commemorate
the coronation of the king.
11th May: Royal Ploughing Ceremony, on 9th May of this year. King
Bhumibol oversees the ancient Ploughing Ceremony to mark the beginning
of the rice-planting season. This ceremony began in India, but it
has been practiced in Thailand for hundreds of years. The ceremony
is very important for Thai farmers, because it predicts how much
rain will fall and how well the crops will grow. Thousands of farmers
come to the Grand Palace to watch.
22nd May: Visakha Bucha, This is the holiest of all the auspicious
Buddhist religious days, marking the birth, enlightenment, and death
of Lord Buddha. All over the country, people go to temples to listen
to sermons by revered monks and make merit. Shortly after sunset,
candlelit circumambulations take place around major temples.
July
21st July: Asanha Pucha Day, The full-moon day of the eighth lunar
month marks the preaching of Lord Buddha's first sermon to his first
five disciples after attaining Enlightenment more than 2,500 years
ago. In the evening, candlelit processions take place in Buddhist
temples around the country.
22nd July: Buddist Lent, This day marks the commencement of the
Buddhist Lent or Phansa during which monks must reside inside their
temples to study and meditate. This is also the most auspicious
time for Buddhist ordinations since it marks a period of renewed
spiritual vigour.
August
12th August: The Queen's Birthday Celebration (Mother's Day), To
display their loyalty and to honour Her Majesty Queen Sirikit on
the occasion of her royal birthday, the Thai people decorate their
houses and public buildings. Around Bangkok, Ratchadamnoen Avenue,
the area around the Grand Palace and other well-known locations
are bedecked with coloured lights and magnificent adornments.
October
23rd October: Chulalongkorn Day, a public holiday to commemorate
King Rama V who started to do a lot of things like a first hospital,
railways, post office, abolished etc.
October: Buffalo Racing in Chonburi
November
16th November: Loy Krathong, a festival on the full moon of November.
Krathong is a little cup shaped like a lotus flower, each with a
candle and incense stick inside. Loy Krathong mean "flotaing
Krathongs." This is an offering to mother of water to ask her
to forgive us for polluting the water.
On Loy Krathong day, I went to my grandmother's home to Loy Krathong
with my family. My brother and I bought Krathongs to float on the
river. Before we floted it we prayed and asked mother of the water
to forgive us for polluting the water.
December
5th December: The King's Birthday Celebrations (Father's Day),
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest reigning monarch. is
well beloved and deeply respected by all Thais old and young. The
occasion of his royal birthday provides his loyal subjects the opportunity
to express their reverence for him. All over the country. buildings
and homes are elaborately decorated and the area around the Grand
Palace is spectacularly illuminated.
10th December: Constitution Day, a public holiday on the 10th December
to commemorate the start of the constitution monarchy in 1932.
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