On Sunday 15th April 2018, Ms. Pottanee Homjitt, Acting Consul-General of Thailand to Vancouver presided over the Songkran Festival organized by Yanviriya 1 Buddhist Temple in Vancouver, BC. to promote Thai culture and the tradition of Thai New Year.
Activities during the ceremony included praying, merit-making, food offerings to Buddhist monks, pouring water onto statue of Buddha, monks and also the elders in order to show respect and gratefulness as well as to receive their blessings. On this occasion, participants also made merits by presenting robes and donations to monks to mark the beginning of Thai New Year and to contribute to their loved ones. The Songkran Festival 2018 was joined by approx. 400 people from Thai communities in Vancouver and Western Canada.
