Auld Lang Thai! We hope you've had time to recover from Chinese New Year, because it’s now time to celebrate Songkran - Thai New Year!
Thai New Year falls between 13th and 15th April, towards the end of the dry season and is the hottest time of the Thai calendar. Songkran is also known as the Water Festival because of the traditional “throwing of water”, which is often scented. It's both spiritual and joyous in significance as a symbolic blessing to wash away evil and misfortune as well as relief from the heat.
Thai people usually celebrate this three-day national festival by visiting a wat (Buddhist monastery) to pray and donate food to monks, paying a visit to elders, calling on family and friends, or watching the annual Miss Songkran beauty pageant. It's even a good time to have a real spring clean around the house. Although, Thai New Year nowadays predominantly involves raucous merriment, water gun touting and hose pipe sluicing. Sounds like fun!
Whilst we’d all like to jet off to Koh Phi Phi for a water dousing, for those of you still here in London, Spoonfed have come up with something to while away those hours of Songkran merriment....
April 13 – Maha Songkran Day (day marking the end of the old year)
What : Mark Evans – Skin Deep
When : 3 April, 10am - 6pm
Where: Scream London
Cost: Free
Contemporary artist Mark Evans’ sizeable collection of portraits. As part of a critique on the practice of airbrushing, he has captured renowned political, fashion, and sport figures on animal hides.
What : Freedom of Expression at the Green Dragon
When : 13 April, 8pm
Where: The Green Dragon, Croydon
Cost: Free.
Not quite the Blue Dragon but close enough. This night of live acoustic acts, comedy, and poetry promises to be a rounded musical feast.
Click here for more things to do in London on 13 April
April 14 – Wan Nao (marks the day after the last day)
What: The Roebuck Rollover Quiz
When: 14 April, 7.30 -10.30pm
Where: The Roebuck
Cost: £2 per team member
South London’s deadliest pub quiz, featuring the usual round of questions followed by the extremely difficult rollover question. A large of pot of gold is up for grabs for the team that can survive these tests.
What : The Real Thing
When: 14 April, 7.30 - 9.30pm
Where: The Old Vic
Cost: £15 - £45
A pithy comic play about adultery by Britain’s best playwright – should not be missed.
Click here for what’s on in London on 14 April
April 15 – Wan Thaloeng Sok (day the New Year begins)
What : 90 Free Thursdays
When: 15 April, 7.30pm - 11pm
Where : 93 Feet East
Cost : Free
After Free Mondays, why not Free Thursdays? This is (unsurprisingly) a free night where you are invited to watch some rather good live indie music.
What: Spicejazz
When: 15 April, 8pm till late
Where: Spice of Life
Cost: £6 - £8
A night dedicated to all things jazz from both native and foreign acts, this is the West End’s cafe culture at its best.
Click here for more events in London on 15 April
Click here fore more things to do in London
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