MON SONGKRAN IN NORTH AMERICA

 (Kao-Wao: April 17, 2004)

The Mon communities in North America joyfully celebrated traditional Songkran New Year in their new homes in Canada and the USA. 

In the USA, the New Year was celebrated at the Mon Buddhist Temple in Fort Wayne on Saturday April 10 with several visitors and the Mon community from Akron, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. 

According to Ven. Dhamma Dinna, the abbot of Mon Buddhist Temple, the celebration was joined by Mon, American, Burman, Karen, Lao, Thai, Vietnamese and Srilankan communities from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm.  Among them were Burma’s famous singer Mar Mar Aye and politician Daw San San, General Secretary of Member of Parliament Union (MPU). 

In Canada, the Mon community also celebrated the New Year on April 17 in Calgary. Children and adults gathered on Saturday to donate food to the Buddhist monk and pray for the coming New Year. 

Back home; Mon people annually celebrate New Year Festival for three days in Monland. During this period, the older people stay in the Buddhist temples. Monks also preach sermons of the Buddha to lay devotees and guide them in the practice of interior meditation for three days intensively.