Along with the water sprinkling and splashing one of the oldest Songkran traditions is to apply a white powder or wet pasty substance to peoples heads, faces and necks. It is also rubbed onto some vehicles that are playing. It is a sign of protection and will ward off evil. You are expected to leave this water soluble paste on until it washes off of its own accord, which in our case was a matter of minutes as we were drenched like muskrats with every passing truck.
One of the newer traditions of mixing the splashing of water with the drinking of alcohol does cause problems...lack of control, excessive behavior, drunk driving, drunk falling out of trucks... oh well do New years and drinking go together anywhere?
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