It’s that time of the year again. Just like the Thai New Year (Songkran) and countless others throughout the Thai calendar. It is Loy Krathong festival next month! November is the month of which thousands of lights float on lakes, ponds and seas carrying people’s wishes and prayers away.
What is Loy Krathong?
The word “Loy” means float while “Krathong” is a floating platform. There are various types of krathong that are made throughout the festival. The floating platform can be made from different materials such as banana leaves, lotus, coconut shells, bread, ice-cream cones, dried corn shell, colour paper, starch and Styrofoam.
Photo Credit: Living + Nomads
With today’s new innovative ideas and attention to the environment, people started using food related krathongs as they can be consumed by fish or disintegrate into the water. Banana leave krathongs could also be disintegrated with time, however, these make the water smell as they decay.
Why Loy Krathong every year?
The Loy Krathong festival is just an important as Songkran festival in April. There are many stories to how Loy Krathong started and why. The most famous history of how Loy Krathong began, starts from people asking forgiveness from the water goddess for having used and polluted rivers or canals. As most of the population in Thailand is Buddhist, it is a believe that Thai people offer flowers, candles and incense sticks as a tribute to the footprint of Lord Buddha on the beach of the Nammatha River in India. Another story is by Loy Krathong, Thai people give appreciation to the ‘Phra Mae Kong Ka’ or Mother of Water. Lastly, Thai people wash away their misfortunes and sins.
Loy Krathong has been an annual tradition in Thailand since the time of King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai, the very first capital of Thailand. Nang Nophamas, also known as Tao Sri Chulalak, introduced ‘Krathongcherm’ on the festival night. People would carry their Krathongs to the river to make a wish and place them on the water to wash away their sins and bad luck for happiness to return to them as their Krathongs float away.
Before letting the Krathongs float on the water, people usually put a coin of however much they want to as a believe that more will return to them in the future. Also, not only coins are placed but also a piece of finger nail and the end of the hair. It sounds strange and some people might find it disturbing but it is a believe that you let your negativity go as well as any misfortunes you hold now.
Photo Credit: Mark Fischer
When is it held?
It is held for one night when the moon is at its fullest in November. According to the Thai lunar calendar, Loy Krathong day changed every year, however, it always falls in the month of November.
Different parts of Thailand also have different traditions. In northern of Thailand, Loy Krathong festival is called “Yi-Peng” festival. Instead of crafting and designing a Krathong, they have lanterns that they float into the sky. Similar meaning to Loy Krathong, northern Thais alight their lanterns along with monks chanting then set them free as they make their wishes.
This year, come join Sri panwa and Baba Beach Club, Phuket Loy Krathong festival as we our make wishes and wash away our sins. Let your Krathongs float and twinkle on the Andaman Sea.
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