Thai community members filled the Asian Art Museum’s Samsung Hall on Sunday to celebrate the Thai New Year with traditional music and dancing. 

Songkran, commonly referred to as Thai New Year, refers to the sun’s annual passing into the Aries constellation, the first of the Zodiac, marking the start of the new year. The holiday is celebrated with traditions of uniting with families, paying respects to elders, ancestors and Buddha, musical festivities and more activities. For example, pouring water is a significant act that symbolizes cleansing, reverence and good fortune for the new year.

People of all ages filled the museum hall, playing instruments and performing traditional dance and song to an overflowing community of audience members. Children as young as nine years old were on stage contributing to the music.

The first of several performances was a traditional Thai dance known as the blessing dance. Young women swayed with slow, repetitive movements with the intention to show respect to elders and celebrate Songkran with renewal and a fresh start to the new year.

To celebrate the tradition of pouring water, signifying good luck and protection, there was a table at the museum with golden bowls, candles, flowers and a handmade lei surrounding a small Buddha statue. 

“We have a bowl here with water and a small cup. Anyone can take a cup and pour water in front [of the Buddha statue],” said Bhante Theravsmsa, one of the event facilitators. “You can make a sincere wish, whether you’re Buddhist or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s more about the mind.”

The tradition remains open to all, regardless of Thai background, as long as the mindset of good luck and good intention is involved, according to Theravsmsa . 

Another tradition practiced during Songkran is decorating the Buddha statue with handmade leis. Amy Pinthapataya was another facilitator overseeing a lei-making workshop during the event. Attendees had the chance to create their own leis using jasmine flowers and orchids imported from Thailand, which are some of the flowers strong enough to withhold the needle striking through. The workshops allowed attendees to learn about the traditional process of crafting the leis. 

“We use these leis to offer to the monk, or as decoration. The finished product we hang on the hand of the Buddha, or in front of the Buddha for good luck,” Pinthapataya said. “We do it throughout the whole year.” 

Another table included materials for the art of vegetable and fruit carving, where sculptors carve flowers and other plants into the food. 

“For the royal family in Thailand, the food, the curry, anything they make, they carve it and then make it,” said Savitri Yuen, one of the event facilitators. 

Other foods were featured during the event as well, including free mango with purple sticky rice and Thai papaya salad distributed to guests before the performances. Attendees enjoyed their appetizers while admiring the graceful dances, vivid floral traditional wear and string instruments played by children. Performers encouraged the audience to chant along with the music towards the end, joining everyone together. 

The celebration was largely about community, with performers finishing the event with a parade, inviting members from the audience and dancing in a large group together before the stage. 

Sally Matsuishi, the museum’s director of learning and civic engagement, said that the Asian Art Museum’s Sunday events always incorporate hands-on art activities, food, music and performance. Matsuish spoke about the significance of Sunday’s celebration of Songkran. 

“It’s aimed at families and communities…there’s a huge Thai community here in the city,” Matsuishi said. 

Matsuishi commemorated the local Thai Buddhist temple in Fremont, a religious organization and cultural center where the performers had been trained and raised from a young age into the cultural arts. 

“There’s a huge Thai community here in the city…they have these temples and they raise the younger members to do music and dance and all the cultural arts,” Matsuishi said. “We like to bring in local Bay Area artists to amplify culture keepers who are keeping cultures alive with young people.”