The White Lotusseason 3, episode 4 showcases a water fight at the Songkran festival, begging the question of what both represent. This week, most ofThe White Lotusseason 3’s castspent some time away from the titular hotel. Rick, Chelsea, the Ratliff family, Greg, and Chloe unite on Greg’s yacht, despiteTimothy’s criminal story inThe White Lotuscausing him and his family some issues. Meanwhile, Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie took to the nearby town in search of a fun day/night out.
The former storyline was interesting, but it was the latter that featured more outright fun scenes. Gone are the crying scenes from theending ofThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 1, replaced by the girls trying to have a fun time together. One scene proved the opposite for the characters, however, when they were drenched by countless Thai citizens with water guns and buckets. This scene links toThe White Lotusseason 3’s locationvia a festival celebrated by locals called Songkran, which in turn explains the water guns and the admittedly hilarious fate that befalls Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie.
Songkran Is The Celebration Of Thai New Year
As Explored In The White Lotus
Firstly, it is worth exploring what Songkran is. Upon entering the local Thai town inThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 4, Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie notice people holding water guns. The trio ask their guide, Valentin, what the guns are for, to which he replies they represent Songkran.Songkran is a festival celebrated in April and symbolizes the Thai New Year, with the celebrations of the day also being highlighted inThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 4 via the aforementioned water guns.
Public Water Fights During Songkran Symbolize Ritual Cleansing
The Celebration Is Symbolic Of Renewal
During this period, Thai citizens often celebrate via the Songkran Water Festival. This often involves a lot of main roads and streets being closed to vehicles, allowing people to go out and engage in huge water fights. Alongside this, water is often splashed over Buddhist images in temples, as well as other ritualistic acts using water. The reason for this is that,in Thailand, water is emblematic of a fresh start and renewal, with the act of splashing it over each other and other religious aspects symbolizing a ritual cleansingfor the start of the new year.
Regarding how this ties intoThe White Lotusseason 3, episode 4, Jaclyn, Laurie, and Kate become targets of the Thai citizens during the Songkran Water Festival. Although this is likely due to their angry reaction to being targeted, which naturally makes mischievous children want to target them more, it could also symbolize their relationship. The trio is not shown to be the healthiest of friends, yet the Water Festival could symbolize their trip as a fresh start for them. That said,The White Lotusneeds to answer whether this is through becoming healthier friends or ditching each other completely.
