New Year cheer all year
December 11, 2024 - In the Gregorian calendar, January 1 brings blessings for peace and prosperity. Why limit it to one day? Here are five other dates this spring to celebrate an alternative New Year with bumper offers and Ogoh-Ogoh parades!
Several cultures celebrate New Year’s Day at different times of the year, whether they follow lunar, solar, or other hybrid calendars. So never fear, if December 31 doesn’t end with a bang, there are plenty more opportunities to join us for unique events and festive cheer.
Ogoh-Ogoh at Six Senses Uluwatu, Bali
Occurring March 29, 2025, Balinese New Year is the first day of the lunar-based Saka calendar. Nyepi Day (silence day) is marked with self-reflection and rest but the day before is celebrated with much fanfare.
Six Senses Uluwatu, Bali starts the celebrations with an Ogoh-Ogoh parade around the resort, before inviting guests to join the local community for traditional and vibrant customs. In addition to the parade, our hosts create colorful Ogoh-Ogoh sculptures, which are displayed in the lobby. Take part in a range of Balinese cultural activities, including Gebogan (fruit towers for prayers) and canang sari (offering) making.
On Nyepi Day itself, enjoy meditative wellness activities and sustainability workshops before cozying up for a movie in the ballroom. With minimal light pollution, the night of Nyepi is a perfect time for stargazing so take a moment to look up at the beauty of the Milky Way above you while reflecting on the world around you.
Enjoy 15 percent savings when you plan ahead with our Early Booking offer.
Joyful Songkran Thai New Year at Six Senses Yao Noi
Songkran is a traditional Thai celebration which starts with Maha Songkran on April 13 every year to mark the end of the year, while Wan Nao on April 14 and Wan Thaloeng Sok on April 15 herald the Thai New Year.
Meaning “movement” in line with Thai astrology, where the sun moves into a new sign of the Zodiac, Songkran is also known as the Water Festival, when water washes away bad luck during a traditional water blessing ceremony.
At Six Senses Yao Noi, we all love a splashing good parade, and our Maha Songkran Day celebrations start at the highest point of the resort with a traditional Thai performance before joining the dance and drum parade from The Hilltop to Mai Thai Beach for a blessing ceremony and water fun.
The Thai New Year Eve festivities continue into the evening with a cocktail on Mai Thai Beach followed by a special Songkran Street Market buffet at The Living Room. At Nithan, Chef Ton presents a Songkran Southern Thai Menu with authentic Southern Thai dishes for a deliciously fulfilling New Year dinner.
On the morning of Wan Nao Day, join our hosts on a cultural journey at our Buddhist Monk Blessing Ceremony at the Wellness Pavilion, to make merit (Buddhist tenets including generosity and mental development) and receive blessings for a new and fulfilling Thai New Year.
Plan your adventure with our Early Booking offer.
Khmer New Year at Six Senses Krabey Island
Although the Khmer New Year, which starts on April 14 in Cambodia, coincides with the traditional solar New Year in several parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, it has its own unique charm.
Over three days at Six Senses Krabey Island, enjoy everything from traditional dances to festive games surrounded by vibrant flowers and colorful parasols as the resort creates a beautiful space that honors Khmer heritage. Chaul Chnam Thmey!
The celebrations begin with Angel Arriving Day, followed by Blessing Day, and end with Fun Day, each with unique activities based on that day’s theme, including an Apsara dance class, Khmer cooking class, and traditional folk games.
Enjoy your very own private island jungle experience with our Cambodia Island Retreat and save 25 percent on the Best Flexible Rate with added benefits included.
Losar at Six Senses Bhutan
With “lo” meaning “year” and “sar” meaning “new”, New Year is one of the most significant celebrations in Bhutan – a time for family reunions, strengthening communal ties, and cultural traditions with rites and bonds.
Celebrated between February 28 and March 2, 2025, the first day marks the end of the year when people wish for peace and prosperity for themselves, their families, and their animals. People purify their house and light butter lamps to ward off evil spirits. You’ll also see colorful prayer flags on top of people’s homes, while temples and monasteries are lavishly decorated and perform special rituals known as “puja”.
The biggest celebration occurs when families and friends visit each other’s homes and local monasteries to share meals. Our five lodges, collectively referred to as Six Senses Bhutan, are ready to welcome you with a warm “Tashi Delek” and feast of national dishes, such as hearty stews and chef’s hot Ezay chili chutney. Each lodge offers its own character, environment and experiences, yet together they can be crafted into one enchanting Bhutan journey through the beauty, spirituality, and culture of the Happiest Place on Earth.
Now when you stay eight nights you only pay for six so talk to us to design your special Bhutan itinerary to include a combination of Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey, Bumthang, and Paro.
Makar Sankranti at Six Senses Vana and Six Senses Fort Barwara
Starting January 14, 2025, in line with the Hindu calendar, Makar Sankranti and Magh Bihu are both harvest festivals that celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of longer days.
Celebrated across India and meaning “movement”, Makar Sankranti marks the sun’s transition from Sagittarius to Capricorn in Vedic astrology. Magh Bihu marks the end of the harvesting season in Assam, and is also known as Bhogali Bihu, which means “Bihu of eating and enjoyment”.
There’s nowhere quite like India for a feast. At Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan, for instance, kite flying is a popular activity, and people enjoy special sweets made from sesame seeds and jaggery, which symbolize warmth and togetherness. Join us to sample the local delicacy Dal Bati Churma and other regional specialties at the Cortile, located by the fort’s leafy 14th-century courtyard. Or head to Shikar Burj, the observation tower on the fort wall with a panoramic view of the Aravalis for a private dinner in a more intimate atmosphere against a backdrop steeped in 700-year-old history and tradition.
Enjoy all meals and a couple’s spa treatment included in our Best Flexible Rate with our Extended Stay offer, valid for three nights or more.
Celebrate the vibrant festival of Makar Sankranti at Six Senses Vana and you’re in for many treats as we honor the winter solstice and beginning of longer days. Kila and Salana will both be adorned with grains to showcase the harvest season and Anayu hosts a special bhojan or communal feast with live flute music. Everyone loves the kite flying celebration from the Kila terrace, while savoring nibbles prepared for the special occasion.
Talking of harvests, there is ingrained mindfulness about the journey of anything harvested before it comes to us and after it leaves us. Local and seasonal ingredients are grown in, not flown in – on-site or using small-scale vendors in our community – and we emphasize making our produce from scratch, such as our own versions of cheeses, miso, kombucha, nut butters, and ghee without using any preservatives.
Every stay at this beautiful retreat surrounded by Sal forests, mango plantations, and lychee trees includes full-board accommodation with all meals provided and prepared with guided nutrition; daily retreat activities and functional fitness; wellness consultation and screening; daily treatment; airport transfers; and attire to wear.
It is a unique place to calm your mind through a blend of ancient wisdoms incorporating Ayurveda, Yoga, Tibetan Medicine, acupuncture, reflexology, and various modern therapies for deeper inner healing. At the end of your stay, you will feel more energetic while enhancing your clarity of thought and sleep quality, with an insight into the dos and don’ts in daily life for longer-lasting results.
What better way to set resolutions for a New Year? Take the first step with a 10 percent saving for stays of five to nine nights with our Extended Wellness Immersion.