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| Prayers before procession |
Every year, Loy Krathong falls on the night of the 12th lunar month (usually in November), at the end of the rainy season when the full moon lights up the sky. The sight of thousands of krathongs, their flickering candles sending a thousand pinpoints of light far into the horizon is a truly magical sight, and there are plenty of places in Bangkok where you can get involved with the festivities.
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| flowers and candles |
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| Flowers and candle for procession to the rivers |
What is Loy Krathong?
The history behind the festival is complex, and Thais celebrate it for many reasons. As the main rice harvest season ends, it’s time to thank the Water Goddess for a year’s worth of her abundant supply, as well as an apology for polluting the waters.Some believe that this is the time to symbolically ‘float away’ all the anger and grudges you have been holding onto, and including a fingernail or a lock of hair is seen as a way of letting go of the dark side of yourself, to start anew free of negative feelings. If your candle stays alight until your Krathong disappears out of sight, it means a year of good luck.
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| Offering prayers to the waters and candle |
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| Prayers before procession |
Traditionally, Thais release their krathong into rivers and small canals called klongs. Nowadays, a pond or lake is fine. Many places host a string of cultural activities, such as Ram Wong dance performances, krathong-making competitions and a beauty contest.
People have started releasing lanterns in Bangkok, but this is only a small part of the festival. For the full lantern experience, head up to Chiang Mai for the Yee Peng festival, although people also often fly lanterns in Phuket and Samui.
What is a krathong?
There is no equivalent word in English for ‘krathong’. You may hear people referring to it as a small boat, vessel, receptacle or container. In the runup to the festival, many shops and market stalls will display ready-made krathongs, or in parts so you can assemble and decorate as you wish.In the past, krathongs were made from natural materials – usually a section from a banana tree trunk, crafted into a lotus shape by using folded banana leaves, and these can still be found for sale around the main festival sites. More recently, Thais have become more creative in their craft and design the krathongs from coconut shells, flowers, baked bread, potato slices, some breaking with the conventional lotus leaf shape in favour of turtles and other sea creatures.
By Parish Pascal
Publisher Binnabook
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