Water Splashing Festival of the Dai Ethnic Minority 傣族泼水节

泼水节为傣历新年的庆祝活动，一般在阳历4月13日至15日这三天，到了节日，傣族男女老少就穿上节日盛装，挑着清水，先到佛寺浴佛，然后就开始互相泼水，你泼我，我泼你，一朵朵水花在空中盛开，它象征着吉祥、幸福、健康，青年手里明亮晶莹的水珠，还象征着甜蜜的爱情。大家互相泼啊泼，到处是水的洗礼、水的祝福、水的欢歌。朵朵水花串串笑，泼水节成了欢乐的海洋。
The Water Splashing Festival is the celebration of the New Year in the Dai people’s calendar, which usually falls on the three days from April 13 – 15. During the festival, the Dai people, wearing their festival suits, carry clean water first to temples to wash the Buddha and then splash each other with water. It is a way of washing away the old year and ushering in a new one. The clean and crystal water drops in the hands of young men represent sweet love. Water means ablution; water means blessings. With water vapor and laughter in the air, the Water Splashing Festival creates a sea of tranquility and happiness.
泼水节的内容，除泼水外，还有赛龙舟、斗鸡、跳孔雀舞、丢包、放高升、放孔明灯等活动。
Besides water splashing, people also race dragon boats, hold cockfights, perform peacock dances, play bean-bag games, set off firecrackers and illuminate Kongming lanterns.
每年到过泼水节的时候，数以万千的中外旅游者便纷纷云集云南西双版纳、瑞丽等傣族地区，参加和祝福傣族的泼水节。年复一年，泼水节规模越来越大，参加的旅游者越来越多，1961年4月13日，周恩来总理也曾参加过西双版纳的泼水节。从此以后，傣族泼水节更加名扬四海。
During Water Splashing Festival every year, millions of Chinese and overseas tourists swarm to Xishuangbanna, Ruili and other Dai places in Yunnan for the grand festival. As times goes by, the scale of Water Splashing Festival also keeps increasing with the growing number of participating tourists. On April 13, 1961, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai participated in the Water Splashing Festival in Xishuangbanna.