If there’s one thing you know about Songkran—Thailand’s traditional New Year festival held every year from April 13 to 15—it’s probably the epic water fights. (They even made a splash in season three of The White Lotus.) Celebrating the start of the solar calendar, the festival is famous for its wild water battles: people drench each other with water guns, buckets, and hoses, symbolically washing away sins and bad luck to welcome a fresh start.

“The water fights are no joke,” laughs Jenn Saesue, the New Jersey–born, Bangkok-raised cofounder of Manhattan’s beloved Fish Cheeks, a restaurant known for bold, seafood-heavy Thai dishes that brought authentic flavors to the city when it opened in 2016. “People ride around in pickup trucks loaded with water, and you can splash anyone—even cops—and they won’t get mad. It’s actually encouraged because it’s the hottest time of the year.”

As the country with the world’s second-largest Buddhist population (after China), Thailand also sees many people visiting temples during Songkran to “make merit”—a Buddhist practice to build good karma. This can include giving food to monks, joining traditional rituals, or pouring jasmine-scented water over Buddha statues as a spiritual offering. Respect for elders is another key part of the celebration; gently pouring water over an older family member’s hands is a sign of reverence and a way to receive blessings for the year ahead. Across Thailand, the festival is filled with vibrant parades, music, dance, family gatherings, and a strong sense of community.

While preparing to open a new Fish Cheeks location in Williamsburg on May 6, Saesue shared with Vogue how she celebrated Songkran this year.

Celebrating Songkran now is similar to how we did it growing up. We start at the temple in Elmhurst, Queens. Monks wake early, walk through the neighborhood, and return to the temple before noon. Since they rely on the community for food, we make offerings, and they give blessings in return. Most of the prayers are in Pali and Sanskrit, so you don’t actually understand the words—but the message is about Buddhism, letting go, new beginnings, karma, and living a good life. At one point, you pour water into a small bowl, and later, you offer it back to the earth by pouring it at the base of a big tree—like a circle-of-life moment.

What I loved most about The White Lotus were the monk scenes. People don’t realize how central Buddhism is to Thai culture—it’s why Thais are so non-confrontational and why Thailand is called the “Land of Smiles.” From a young age, you’re taught to let things go; nothing is worth getting too upset over. It’s all part of life. That mindset comes from Buddhism. I try to visit the temple every six months—though I should go more. I’m a bad Buddhist.

My head chef, Dustin Everett, gave a food offering to a monk. After about an hour and 45 minutes of prayers and chanting, the monk invites everyone to share the food they’ve brought. Dustin had never been to a temple before, so the aunties were side-eyeing him at first. But once they tasted the dishes we brought from Fish Cheeks, they asked him, “Are you single?”

He’d never been to Asia before, but we’ve sent him to Thailand three times in the past two years, so he’s got a solid grasp of Thai cuisine now. All the Thai staff at the restaurant joke, “You’re Thai now.”

Bringing food to the temple is a way to show off your cooking. It’s basically a giant potluck. We brought Fish Cheeks’ coconut crab curry, crab… [text continues]The spread included fried rice, corn salad, and chicken wings. The temple has a full kitchen, and one woman was preparing her own curry there. We playfully offered to help, saying, “Need any assistance? We’ve got chefs here who can pitch in.” She quickly replied, “No thanks—I’m a chef too!” [Laughs.] Another woman brought a homemade jungle curry that tasted just like I remembered—it had been ages since I’d had it. I kept urging Dustin and Chat to try it.

Family gatherings are what make Songkran special for me. My extended family in Thailand is huge—my mom has seven siblings, my dad has four, and they all have kids—so I really miss those big reunions. These days, I usually celebrate with my sister, aunt, and my mom’s closest friends, who were like family to us when we first moved here. They welcomed us with open arms. Thinking about that makes me realize I should visit Jackson Heights in Queens more often. We lived there from when I was 14 until 27, and it’s home to a vibrant Thai community with amazing food.

Now, my restaurant team has become like family too. This year, we celebrated at Fish Cheeks’ private dining room after closing—a fitting way to mark a new chapter, especially with our Williamsburg location opening soon. It feels like the start of something exciting.

This was the first Songkran in years that I got to spend with my mom. She and my dad moved back to Thailand about 15 years ago, and while I visit them annually, I’m usually not there for the holiday. My sister recently had a baby, who’s sitting in my lap next to my husband, Jesse Morav. It’s another fresh start for us, and we’re making an effort to speak Thai to the baby so he’ll at least understand the language as he grows up.

We don’t typically serve pad thai, but we made an exception for Songkran at our NoHo location. In Thai culture, long noodles symbolize longevity, so it’s our way of wishing everyone a healthy, prosperous year. We also offered larb moo, a spicy minced pork salad—the word “larb” sounds like “luck” in Thai, making it a traditional dish for good fortune.

There aren’t any dishes exclusive to Songkran, but khao chae—jasmine rice soaked in chilled, floral-scented water—is a refreshing choice in Thailand’s heat, almost like a cold porridge paired with savory sides. We created a cocktail version of it at Fish Cheeks NoHo, available through April 18.

Opening Fish Cheeks in Williamsburg feels like coming full circle—it’s proof that what we’ve built is truly special and still growing. The new location will feature two exclusive dishes: Mama Tom Yum, our take on the beloved instant noodles (using Sun Noodles instead), packed with crispy pork belly and seafood for a rich, spicy kick. Then there’s the marinated raw crab, soaked in fish sauce, garlic, chilis, cilantro, and lime, then chilled. It’s salty, spicy, and slightly sweet—perfect for sharing. It took us a while to feel confident about adding it to the menu, but now feels like the right time.