The White Lotus season 3: What is Songkran celebration and how accurate is the portrayal? Explained

The White Lotus season 3 premiered on February 16, 2025, on HBO. The award-winning show's third installment is set in Thailand and features a new group of guests enjoying their weeklong stay at the White Lotus hotel. The series is created, written, and directed by Mike White and is produced by John M. Valerio, Todd Brown, Justin Ritson, and Regina Heyman.

In The White Lotus season 3, Jaclyn, Laurie, and Kate witness the Songkran Festival, which marks the traditional New Year in Thailand. They get dragged into the water fights, which is a big part of the celebration. The festival is also marked by people visiting temples and carrying out ritualistic cleansing practices.

The official synopsis of The White Lotus season 3, as per HBO, reads:

"This social satire is set at an exclusive Thai resort and follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week."

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When is the Songkran festival depicted in The White Lotus season 3?

The Songkran festival is showcased in episode 4 of The White Lotus season 3, which aired on March 9, 2025. Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie head outside of the hotel for a day of fun with their health guru Valentin. He drops them off on a busy shopping street on the day of the Songkran festival and goes to pick up his Russian friends so that they can all party together at the club later.

The women notice that the streets are lined with locals and kids carrying water guns and see them engaging in water fights with passersby. They soon become their targets and are drenched in water before they head for cover inside a convenience store.

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Everything to know about the Songkran festival seen in The White Lotus season 3

'Songkran' is a Sanskrit word that translates to 'movement,' or 'the passing of' and relates to the sun's movement through the astrological signs. It is a three-day festival that marks the traditional Thai New Year, with its first day coinciding with the first full moon in April. Typically celebrated between April 13 and 15, the festival takes place with much fervor throughout the country.

A big part of the festivities is the Songkran Water Festival, where locals and tourists partake in water fights on the streets using water guns, buckets of ice water, super soakers, etc. Since water symbolizes renewal and a fresh start in Thailand, it is splashed over religious statues in temples as a form of ritual cleansing to mark the start of the new year.

The first day of the festival is dedicated to spring cleaning and water pouring ceremony wherein scented water is used to douse Buddha statues in temples as a sign of purification. This ritual also signifies washing away the previous year and making way for the New Year. The second day involves young people pouring scented water on the hands and feet of their elders as a sign of respect.

The third day is spent visiting local temples to offer food and clothing to the monks in exchange for their prayers and blessings. The day also includes feasting with family members and loved ones. Another aspect of the festivities is blessing one another by applying a chalky paste made from limestone called din sor pong on each other’s faces.

Songkran is one of Thailand's biggest annual festivals and is marked with crazy street parties and beachside celebrations at popular tourist locations. Also, more traditional celebrations, including cultural performances, are held at the country's major Buddhist temples.

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All episodes of The White Lotus season 3 can be watched on HBO and Max.