Holiday Essay

Each country in the world has different holiday traditions. There are very different events but they have some similarity. In both Thailand and in the United States, national holidays celebrate tradition and bring people together. First of all, both national holidays in Thailand and the United States celebrate tradition. Songkran festival is the traditional Thai New Year's Day and is celebrated from 13 April to 15 April. It is also known as the “Water Festival” as people believe that water will wash away bad luck. Many Thais visit their local temple to pray and to wash their Buddha icons. Buddhist statues on house shrines are also cleaned. This cleansing ritual is to bring luck and prosperity for the coming year. Likewise, Independence Day is a national holiday in the United States known as “The Fourth of July.” American celebrates this day with parades and fireworks. Parades take place along main streets. High school students play band music and wave American flags. At night, they go to the park to watch firework displays. In addition, these holidays in Thailand and the United States, also bring people together. On Songkran Day, most Thai people go back to their hometown to visit elders (including family members, friends, monks), in order to apologize for all the bad deeds they have done to them, either intentionally or unintentionally, to show their gratitude and respect. Then, everyone will get it on the fun with spraying, dropping water from above and splashing each other while a lot of the water will come from the usual water guns, hoses and buckets. Likewise, on July fourth, Americans like to be outside. They may spend time with their family just talking and reconnecting with each other in their backyards. There are picnics with traditional food and to cook outdoors.