Throughout the world, water splashing stands as an ancient and vibrant form of celebration, and symbolizes aspirations for happiness. Despite being geographically distant, water-splashing in Hungary and China’s Yunnan Province rank among the most cherished traditional celebrations in their respective locations.
A photo taken on April 1, 2024 shows young men sprinkling water on a young woman to celebrate the Smigus-dyngus in Mezokovesd, Hungary. /IC
A photo taken on April 1, 2024 shows young men sprinkling water on a young woman to celebrate the Smigus-dyngus in Mezokovesd, Hungary. /IC
A group of young women are soaked during Smigus-dyngus celebrations in Mezokovesd, Hungary on April 1, 2024. /IC
A group of young women are soaked during Smigus-dyngus celebrations in Mezokovesd, Hungary on April 1, 2024. /IC
In Hungary, there is a tradition known as “Smigus-dyngus,” which takes place on Easter Monday. Rooted in Hungarian customs, young men traditionally sprinkle water (or more commonly nowadays, cologne) on female friends, family members, and even willing strangers. This tradition is considered a shared cultural heritage in the Central and Eastern European region.
Over time, the practice has evolved. The way of dousing women has become gentler, transitioning from the initial pouring of water to a simple sprinkling from a bucket. Today, the most common practice involves lightly spraying women with a small amount of cologne.
In China’s Yunnan Province, a similar festival of water splashing exists as a means of expressing blessings. The Water Splashing Festival stands as one of the grandest traditional celebrations in the province, observed by ethnic groups such as the Dai, Hani, and Lisu.
A photo taken on April 12, 2024 shows people splashing water on each other to wish for good fortune during the Water Splashing Festival in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. /IC
A photo taken on April 12, 2024 shows people splashing water on each other to wish for good fortune during the Water Splashing Festival in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. /IC
A photo taken on April 12, 2024 shows people celebrating the Water Splashing Festival in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. /IC
A photo taken on April 12, 2024 shows people celebrating the Water Splashing Festival in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. /IC
During the festival, which is usually held in mid April, people of all ages dress in festive attire, singing and dancing to celebrate the arrival of the new year. They splash water on each other to convey blessings and engage in various celebratory activities such as paying homage to Buddha, dragon boat races, releasing sky lanterns, and more.
The water-splashing activities comprise two main styles: a gentler way of splashing and a more aggressive way of splashing. The gentler splashing, the more traditional approach, involves gently splashing others with water-filled wooden basins to express blessings and good wishes. Aggressive splashing, on the other hand, entails pouring the entire basin of water onto others, with those receiving more splashes symbolizing greater happiness in the coming year, signifying mutual peace and happiness.