The tradition of splashing water is part of the Śmigus-Dyngus celebration on Easter Monday in Poland. It is also practised during the Wattah Wattah Festival in the Philippines, as well as various water festivals such as Songkran in Thailand and Thingyan in Myanmar.
These celebrations often revolve around themes like fertility, purification, and the New Year. They are symbolically done to bestow good fortune, cleanse the spirit, and promote communal celebration.
In South Africa, a similar tradition is observed, especially in townships, to welcome spring on the first day of September by splashing water. However, there is increasing concern that this practice has, at times, caused unintended consequences, as it occasionally involves unwilling participants.
A recent viral Facebook video shows an individual, formally dressed, being doused with water against his…