I am in a small town upcountry for the Thai New Year's holiday called Songkran.
(This gardon photo is taken in Xinjiang by myself! The poplar trees there are so tall! )
This is a Buddhist holiday in which there are many different things that families do together.
I am not religious, but almost all Thais are Buddhist, so I participate with my Thai family.
One of the most important parts is paying respect to the elders (older people) in your family by cleansing (washing) their hands and feet with water.
UPCOUNTRY means near the interior (middle) of the country and away from the ocean.
Places upcountry are often RURAL (They have farms, nature, etc.)
Songkran is also celebrated in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, but it has different names.
(From Teacher Mike)
What an amazing tradition!
In Italy, today is Holy Thursday, in memory of the Last Supper, but the most well-known rite is the washing of the feet, a gesture that represents the duty of serving others, as Christ did with the apostles.
It is a gesture of respect for the elderly.👍
About "Holy Thursday":
Today is also Maundy Thursday 2022
The word Maundy comes from the latin, 'mandatum', or 'command' which refers to the instructions Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper. In many countries the day is known as Holy Thursday and is a public holiday.
It is the day we observe Christ's establishment of the communion with His "Last Supper" – when Jesus commanded that we love one another and demonstrated how those who lead must humble themselves to serve when He washed the feet of the Apostles.