Thailand Has 3 New Years Celebrations - Today is Songkran - Thai New Year!

It is Thai New Year or Songrkan starting today. This is the third New Year celebration of the year in Thailand. Yes we do have it good here.

Western New Year
I am calling January 1st Western New Year although it is celebrated everywhere around the world.

Western New Year - January 1

The first day of the civil year in the Gregorian calendar used by most countries. Contrary to common belief in the west, the civil New Year of January 1 is not an Orthodox Christian religious holiday. The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar makes no provision for the observance of a New Year. January 1 is itself a religious holiday, but that is because it is the feast of the circumcision of Christ (seven days after His birth), and a commemoration of saints. Those that adhere to the revised Julian calendar (which synchronizes dates with the Gregorian calendar), including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Romania, Syria, and Turkey, observe both the religious and civil holidays on January 1. In other nations and locations where Orthodox churches still adhere to the Julian calendar, including Georgia, Israel, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Ukraine, the civil new year is observed on January 1 of the civil calendar, while those same religious feasts occur on January 14 (which is January 1 Julian), in accord with the liturgical calendar. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year Although it is not nearly as popular in Thailand New Year Jan 1 is still a big celebration. there are parties all over and at night you can see fireworks going off everywhere. But since there is no holiday days after, you cannot party like it is 1999 because you have to go to work the next day.

Chinese New Year - Between Jan 21 and February 21

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, occurs every year on the new moon of the first lunar month, about the beginning of spring (Lichun). The exact date can fall any time between January 21 and February 21 (inclusive) of the Gregorian Calendar. Traditionally, years were marked by one of twelve Earthly Branches, represented by an animal, and one of ten Heavenly Stems, which correspond to the five elements. This combination cycles every 60 years. It is the most important Chinese celebration of the year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year
This holiday is a month long and I love it. Chinese parades happen all over the cities all the time and there is lots of Chinese food too. Also there is lucky money (look it up), which is really nice.

Songkran – The Thai New Year - April 13 to April 16

Thai New Year's Day is 13 April every year, but the holiday period includes 14–15 April as well. The word "Songkran" comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti or "astrological passage", meaning transformation or change. The term was borrowed from Makar Sankranti, the name of a Hindu harvest festival celebrated in India in January to mark the arrival of spring. It coincides with the rising of Aries on the astrological chart and with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia, in keeping with the Buddhist/Hindu solar calendar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran

Songkran is a fantastic time. During the day everyone is throwing water at everyone in the streets and you cannot avoid being drenched. At night there are parties everywhere and you can walk down just about any street and people will pull you in and give you food and drink. The festival lasts three to five days and it is the most fun you will ever have.

All of the new years are huge celebrations and we get the chance to have 3 every year. Right now it is Songkran in Thailand and that means that everywhere you go you will have water thrown on you, so dress accordingly and be prepared to have fun. Sawasdee Pee Mai or Happy New Year!