Please give some imformation of 「潑水節」for me please???

Songkran is a Thai traditional New Year which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for 3 days. Songkran festival on April 13 is Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end of the old year, April 14 is Wan Nao which is the day after and April 15 is Wan Thaloeng Sok which the New Year begins. At this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival. Thus, when the time come, Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted city.

Songkran is a Thai word which means "move" or "change place" as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac. It is also known as the "Water Festival" as people believe that water will wash away bad luck.

The Songkran tradition is recognized as a valuable custom for the Thai community, society and religions. The value for family is to provide the opportunity for family members to gather in order to express their respects to the elders by pouring scented water onto the hands of their parents and grandparents and to present them gifts including making merits to dedicate the result to their ancestors. The elders in return wish the youngsters good luck and prosperity.

The values for community is to provide the opportunity to create unity in the community such as to jointly acquire merits, to meet each other and to enjoy the entertaining events. And for the society value is to create concern upon environment with cooperation such as to clean houses, temples, public places and official buildings. Thais value the religion bye means of merits acquisition, offerings alms to monks, Dhamma Practice, listening to sermon and monks-bathing.


2007-10-09 13:19:59 補充：
咁都得呀. 明明問撥水節, 而家又話問灑水節, 你講的是那個國家, 那個民族的灑水節呀.你係咪玩嫁.

緬甸一月（陽曆約四月中旬） －由於佛教教義中，水被視為能夠洗滌污濁以使事務潔淨名澈，因此，每至年終，人們便以清水洗滌佛塔、佛像象徵著除舊佈新。



整個儀式過程三天至四天，其中，前兩天是送舊，最後一天是迎新。眾人也在歡愉的氣氛下互相潑水，意為以水洗淨過去一年的污穢、霉氣與罪惡，並以潔淨之身迎接新年的來臨。





在馬路旁邊常擺滿各式盛水的器具，向路過的行人與車輛盡情潑水取樂，人人都沉浸在相互潑水的歡樂氣氛中。由於潑水儀式帶有消災除難的祝福，因此即使是被潑得全身溼透，也不會有人生氣。


中和的緬寺每年都會在鄰近潑水節的星期日上午舉行慶祝法會，以手持蒲桃枝葉，沾滿成裝載綠色法器中的水，灑在眾人身上三次，象徵性進行祈福儀式，若能在潑水節這天得到僧人的灑淨、祝福，則可以洗脫不潔之事，並保佑來年的平安。



在灑水儀式結束之後，六樓的佛堂便架設起五、六張圓矮桌，以供前來參加潑水節法會的緬華移民，食用寺方所準備的魚湯麵，以及以糯米團包裹糖餡而製成類似湯圓的點心。這是在緬甸過潑水節必定會食用的一道應節點心，象徵新的一年能夠圓圓滿滿。



每年的潑水節在緬華移民聚集的華新街一帶，總會有部分的成員「像是在緬甸的時候一樣」彼此潑水取樂，但大家的共同感覺仍覺得「在台灣不像在緬甸那麼熱鬧」。





另外潑水節為中國西南少數民族傣族、布朗族、崩龍族、阿昌族，以及東南亞信仰南傳佛教國家的傳統新年節日。節日當天清晨，全村男女老幼沐浴盛裝到佛寺拜佛，並在寺院中堆沙造塔，群眾圍塔而坐，聽佛爺念經，然後把一尊佛像抬到院中，由群眾向佛潑水，稱為「浴佛」。儀式結束之後，人們並相互潑水祝福。當前在觀光事業的帶動之下，潑水節已成為各地區遊旅的一大特色。



另外一種說法是，潑水節前一天為迎神日，節日的第一天為神靈下降日，第二天是神靈誡世日，第三天為神靈回天日。



在中和的潑水節當天，每個人都會帶著自家的水桶、裝水的器皿，一見到人就往他身上潑水，有些不相干的人士被潑到後，都只能自認倒楣，在當天，還有消防車到現場助陣，如果全身上下還有一處是乾的，我想那就是天方夜譚了吧！大家不分彼此，潑的是不亦樂乎，也互相「禮尚往來」，幫附近所有的朋友，都撤徹底底清洗的一番，每個人的心理都因為潑水節，而被沖洗的潔淨以及充滿歡樂的快感。