News from Berlin

News from Berlin - The Thai New Year, or Songkran, is celebrated each year from April 13^th to April 15^th. For this occasion, the Thai Ambassador to Germany, the Hon. Miss Nongnuth Phetcharatana, invited many prominent guests to her residence in Berlin on a colder-than-usual April 10th evening.

Upon entering, guests were asked to empty a cup of water over a small Buddha statue, and to make a wish. It is the traditional way of blessing yourself and the new year. After that, guests could proceed to have a Thai massage, experience Thai floral art, enjoy traditional Thai music being played live, or go to the garden where they could have a taste of various Thai dishes, some of which were prepared on the spot.

After all the guests had arrived, the Ambassador gave a warm welcome speech and invited all to enjoy some displays of Thai culture: traditional dance and martial arts (Muay Thai and traditional sword fighting). Especially the latter was extremely impressive since the demonstration included real swords. In all, it was a short, but fantastic introduction into Thai culture, and definitely left attendees wanting more.

News from Berlin - Berlin Global