Loy Krathong or Loi Krathong is the Thai festival of light. It is held on the full moon of the 12th Lunar Month(November). It is an extremely old festival and may well be linked to the Thai reliance on inland waterways as a means of transporting goods and travelling around.
It also marks the end of the rainy season and the start of the cool season. Since Hinduism and Buddhism are closely linked religions it is perhaps not surprising that the Hindu festival of light, Diwali, is also held around the same time each year.
The festival involves building and floating a “krathong,” on a stretch of water. As the krathong floats away it is said to take away your bad luck, aided by a small offering of money that is placed on the krathong, as a gift to the Mother of Water. Young couples hoping for a happy life together will jointly float a krathong, so the festival is also romantic.
Thais spend many hours preparing their krathong’s. The basic krathong is made using a slice from the trunk of a banana tree(it floats in water), which is then decorated with flowers and incense sticks. Often at the time of the festival competitions are held to see who can build the most beautiful krathong.
Besides floating a krathong, in some areas of Thailand, “khom loy,” miniature candle powered hot air balloons made from paper are released to light up the night sky.
Loy Krathong, Thailands’s festival of light, is always a very colourful event and if you are in Thailand then it is a festival you should not miss. The next Loy Krathong will be celebrated on 21st November 2010.
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