Songkran Garland: How to Honour Elders and What to Give
A Songkran garland, พวงมาลัยสงกรานต์ (Songkran garland), is a warm way to honour the elders in your family at Thai New Year.
Many families bring one to รดน้ำดำหัว (rot nam dam hua, the water-pouring blessing for elders), along with scented water and a small gift.
This guide covers what Songkran is, how the blessing works, and our cotton garlands with prices, so your ของดำหัว (khong dam hua, the gift for the elder-blessing rite) stays with your elder long after April.
What Songkran is: dates and meaning
The word Songkran comes from Sanskrit and means to move or pass. It marks the sun moving into Aries.
13 April is วันมหาสงกรานต์ (Wan Maha Songkran, Maha Songkran Day). 14 April is วันเนา (Wan Nao), and 15 April is วันเถลิงศก (Wan Thaloeng Sok), when the new era year begins.
13 April is also National Elderly Day, and 14 April is Family Day.
In 2023, UNESCO inscribed Songkran in Thailand, traditional Thai New Year festival on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
UNESCO describes it as a time to reunite with family and pay respect to elders. Pouring water stands for cleansing, reverence and good fortune.
รดน้ำดำหัว (rot nam dam hua): how to honour elders with a garland
At รดน้ำดำหัว (rot nam dam hua, the water-pouring blessing), you pour scented water over an elder's palms, ask forgiveness for past wrongs, and receive a blessing for the new year.
It is a gentle family moment, and the gifts you bring are part of the respect you show.
What to bring
Scented water, น้ำอบ (nam op, Thai scented water), with petals such as jasmine, rose or marigold, and a bowl to hold it.
A small gift such as a towel or new clothes. Thai press also lists a garland among the gifts, and many families bring one.
The steps
Invite your elder to sit, then approach respectfully and give the gifts with both hands.
Pour a little scented water on their palms and receive their blessing for the new year. Then pay respect once more.
If you would like the story behind Thai garlands, our guide to the meaning of the phuang malai explains it.
Fresh or long-lasting: which Songkran garland to choose
A fresh garland looks lovely at the ceremony, then fades within a day.
Cotton keeps its colour for years, so your elder can keep the garland at home long after Songkran.
If you want something only for the ceremony, fresh flowers do the job. For a keepsake that brings back the blessing every time they see it, choose cotton.
Our Songkran garlands
Here are our six picks for พวงมาลัยสงกรานต์ (Songkran garland), from the gentlest budget to the most prestigious, with current prices.
1. Malai Glin Rak, THB 499
Malai Glin Rak is a cotton garland in a wooden gift box, in 8 colours. Your elder can hang it at home, on a door, on a desk or in the car.
Add a few drops of the scent your elder loves, a sweet echo of the scented water at the ceremony. Our guide to Thai fragrance traditions has ideas. We can also engrave the box on request.
2. Malai Petite Purity White, from THB 1,290
Malai Petite Purity White carries the wish A Peaceful Heart. It is THB 1,290 in a plastic box, or THB 1,590 in a wooden box.
Its white recalls the jasmine of a classic garland. Like our other cotton garlands, it is handmade by Akha women in Chiang Rai.
3. Malai Petite in the colour of your elder's birth day, THB 1,590
Malai Petite comes with a custom-coloured belt in the day-of-birth colours.
Choose the colour of the day your elder was born: red for Sunday, yellow for Monday, pink for Tuesday, green for Wednesday, orange for Thursday, light blue for Friday and purple for Saturday.
4. Malai Petite Flowers, THB 1,890
Malai Petite Flowers carries the wish Gratitude & Blessings, a lovely match for the new year blessing.
It is decorated with real dried flowers. White stands for purity and inner peace, and the gold details for the sacred and prosperity.
5. Malai Supreme Flowers, THB 2,690
Malai Supreme Flowers carries the wish Respect & Honour. It is the larger version of Petite Flowers, with finer details and real dried flowers along the whole length.
In Thailand, the care put into a garland measures the respect behind it, which makes this one a heartfelt gift for a grandparent.
6. Malai Prestige Gold, THB 3,090
Malai Prestige Gold carries the wish Celebrating Wealth & Achievement, and it comes with a gift box.
In Thai culture, gold stands for prosperity, success and honour, a beautiful way to thank an elder for everything they have built.
Songkran gift ideas beyond the garland
Looking for a Songkran gift, ของขวัญวันสงกรานต์ (Songkran gift), that goes a little further? Here are more ideas.
More gifts for the grandparents and elders you visit
If you are visiting several relatives this Songkran, browse our gift ideas for the elders in your family.
Songkran garland FAQ
When is Songkran?
13 April is Maha Songkran Day, 14 April is Wan Nao, and 15 April is Wan Thaloeng Sok, when the new era year begins. 13 April is also National Elderly Day, and 14 April is Family Day.
What do I bring to rot nam dam hua?
Scented water with petals such as jasmine, rose or marigold, a bowl, and a small gift such as a towel or new clothes. Many families also bring a garland.
Is a Songkran garland part of rot nam dam hua?
Many families bring one. Thai press lists a garland among the gifts for the elder-blessing rite.
Should I choose a fresh or cotton Songkran garland?
A fresh garland fades within a day. Cotton keeps its colour for years, so your elder can keep it as a keepsake.
How do I order a Songkran garland?
Message us on LINE or send us an email with the garland you like. We will reply with the details for your order.
Songkran is about coming home and showing respect to the people who raised us. We would love to help you find a garland that carries that feeling.
Say hello, tell us about your elder, and we will choose the right colour and wish together.