San Francisco Buddhists Celebrate Thai New Year

April 12, 2004

Source: The San Mateo County Times

http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87~11268~2078480,00.html

On April 12, 2004 The San Mateo County Times reported, "Easter Sunday was, perhaps surprisingly, just as big a deal for Thai Buddhists as it was for millions of Christians across the globe. Sunday marked Songkran Day 2004 -- Thai New Year -- and members of Wat Buddhapradeed of San Francisco, the Thai Buddhist temple serving the Peninsula and San Francisco, were more than prepared for it. Prominently displayed Buddha statues greeted worshipers, people bustled about with tantalizing Thai dishes and children in elaborate costumes impatiently waited for their time to dance in the spotlight. Combined with the constant streams of conversations in Thai -- very few people spoke more than a few sentences in English at a time -- this New Year's celebration was very much like those in Thailand, said Buddhist monk Phramaha Banphot Cetovais."