Thais celebrate their New Year this Friday on the Western calendar, but this year the celebrations start on Thursday and continues through Saturday. The Thai New Year is based on the birth year of Buddha, and this year is the year of 2544 on the Thai calender. As in other cultures, the Thai New Year is the time for family and friends to get together after praying at the Buddhist temple and eat, drink, sing, dance and get wet. It is also part of their culture, and it is just for fun. Lewis has been to Thailand and participated in the New Year celebration when he was there years ago.
People go to the river and soak or wade in the water.
It is believed that the more water someone gets onto his or her body, the luckier he or she is. USF student Somdej Khunduang wanted to share the traditions of his homeland with the USF community. As the general manager and chef for Sawatdee, a Thai restaurant located on 56th Street, Khunduang will celebrate the New Year by incorporating traditions from Thailand and creating a traditional New Year menu to share his culture. For several of the dishes, banana leaves are used as decoration because their bright, green color is said to represent luck. During the Thai New Year, rice is served in coconut bowls.