The Erawan Shrine has been discussed by me before but it is located at a corner in the main Shopping area and offerings are supposed to give good fortune. It was quite busy on New Years Day as all the shopping venues were open and people were free from school and work.
It is a mixture of serious worshipers, interested tourists and those selling flowers and joss sticks to those making offerings.
Sellers of wares are lined up on the side walk:
Worshipers offering incense in the form of Joss sticks:
Special favors can be entreated by paying an extra fee for musicians and dancers:
All this is happening at a meeting of 2 busy main streets and 2 lines of the Skytrain swooping overhead. With the smoke, music and people added to the road traffic and the squealing overhead railway this is hardly a quiet interlude.
It is interesting that in much of Southeast Asia they celebrate 3 New Years.
First there is the traditional one at the beginning of the Western calendar year on January 1.
Second in early February (varying with the lunar calendar) there is the Chinese New Year which is usually the busiest commercial and travel week of the year. Even in Las Vegas that is the heaviest gambling week of the year.
Third there is Songkran April 13-15 which is a rollicking festival at the hottest time of the year during which water is thrown on everyone. Young people in pickup trucks with buckets cruise the streets drenching people on the sidewalk and then throwing flower to stick on the wet victims. For most Thai people this is great fun; however many see this as a good time for a trip out of the country.
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