
Songkran Water-Sprinkling Festival
Traditional New Year festival of the Dai people
🗓️ 13 April 2026
The Water-Sprinkling Festival or Water-Splashing Festival, is a major and traditional festival of the Dai ethnic group marking the New Year. The Dai are an ethnic minority of China who primarily live in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in southern Yunnan, and their predominant religion is Theravada Buddhism. This festival occurs on the 6th month of the Dai calendar, which usually corresponds to mid-April of the Gregorian calendar. Additionally, it is known as the Festival for Bathing the Buddha, and typically lasts for three days.







