Sawasdee ka and welcome everyone!
It's my pleasure sharing you with joining Songkran (Thai New Year Festival) at Wat Pha (Thai Temple) in Pomona City, California.
Songkran festival, represent the beginning of Thai New Year Traditional. Later on, the government announced including a Family Day. It's a long holiday nationwide. We prepared a fresh water with floated Thai jasmine flower . We went to parent's house, then grandparent's house and respectful adult house. Pouring water on their hand. It's means; begging for forgiveness in wrongdoing to them in the passed year. Starting a new year with blessing. We had fun sprinkle on anybody who walked by the house with buckets of water cooling off the heat of the weather.
Today, in the morning, my friend, my son and I, arrived at the temple about 9.15 am. I brought two vases of flowers for celebration of the Buddha. I cooked Thai dessert sticky rice with mango for giving away . We donated some of money, pills and other stuffs.
The ceremony was starting with offering the steam rices by putting in the alms bowl of the monk. Then, we carried offering food tray to the monk. Beginning with the meal follow by dessert, fruit and drink. While we were carrying the food. I saw a variety of authentic Thai foods. Wow! it looked so yummy such as a little bowl of steam red curry with fish, nam prik kapee ( shrimp paste dipping sauce) with fresh vegetable, keang som koong (tamarind soup with shrimp) and kanom jin nam ya (rice noodles with fish curry). It got me attention.
These authentic foods did not see in Thai restaurant menu over US. If you love eating real authentic Thai food, which come from every part of Thailand. Please go to Thai temple not Thai restaurant.
The monk said welcome and guiding us to do good thing. While the monk was eating lunch, we were praying and doing meditation for 30 minute. Then, all visitors had a lunch with the remaining foods from offering monk.
After monk ceremony, I had a chance walking around the temple. There was about 20 booths of food donation from the owner of Thai restaurant. I saw my son was standing in a long line for Thai noodles soup bowl. I gave up with that line. So, I walked away to see a show on the stage.
At the stages, the first show began with welcome guest song. Thai instrument was playing by girls and boys who were born in America. I stood near by the stage. Sweet rhythm of Thai music got me some little bump. This is a precious culture passing from generation to generation. I was missing home in Thailand.
The following show, was a welcome Thai traditional dancing by a cute little girls and boys. Then the Southern style dancing from all the girls age between 10-15 years old. The last show was Northeastern style dancing from Thai dancing teacher. I got a lot of picture of my friend's daughter, who was the one dancer on the stage.
At the end of celebration, all visitor walked around the temple for celebration the monk. We got so much fun from the Festival of Thai New Year. It's just a small part of celebration but delightful of Thai sensational traditional. We felt not being far away from Thailand.
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