Nice party with delicious foods and a warm gathering of your friend's family and relatives. All foods make me feel hungry now. And I can imagine that everyone enjoyed playing the games, even your little princess, via your story.... You and your husband, @jaki01, are so lucky to find this good friend and family.
"I'm kinda curious how do the Thais spend time at family gathering during Buddhist Festivals like Vesak for example." - Good question! During Buddhist Festivals, many Thai families, especially in the countryside, like to gather in the temples (not in the houses) to make merit and pay respect to Buddha statues....
p.s.: I also used to accept the strangers' offers to pick me up while I was walking on the small road in my Soi and drive me to the main road, too. "I still believe that there are still many of good samaritans in the world.", I think the same as you....
Aha...it seems the Thais are still very spiritually devoted, very nice.
Indonesians go to the mosque at Eid al-Fitr for example to pray as well, cos it's part of the religious celebration ritual.
Then they try to meet as many as possible friends and acquaintances to shake hands as a gesture to forgive and forget all disputes in the previous year.
The prayer itself would only take 5 minutes plus 15-20 minutes sermon and the meet and greet wouldn't take much time, coz you won't know that many people in the neighbourhood these days afterall.
When I was a child it's different, you would know nearly everyone in the village 😁.
Afterwards it's playtime with family and friends at home 😊.
You also have a very nice religious celebration ritual in Indonesia. It's a great idea to have this good opportunity to meet people and shake hands to forgive and forget all disputes in the previous year.
In Thai villages in the past, we knew nearly everyone, too.... 😊