‘Loy Krathong’ is one of the most popular and romantic traditional festivals in Thailand. It’s also well known as ‘The Festival of Light’. The festival is as old as Thai heritage and represents a close bond between Thai culture and water. Simply said, it is the tradition of setting lotus-shaped, banana-leaf floats with flickering candles and joss sticks adrift on rivers.
The festival is traditionally performed on the full moon night of the 12th lunar month, usually in November of each year, when the water level is high and the climate is cooler. ‘Loy Krathong’ is held to pay homage to the goddess of rivers and waterways, ‘Mae Nam’. Participants ask water spirits to float away their troubles, ill fortunes as well as express their apologies to Khongkha or Ganga, the River Goddess, for having used and sometimes polluted her by floating away their Krathongs, which are carrying offerings of incense, lotus flowers and small money. Couples mostly swear to each other endless love by floating their Krathongs and are hoping to get an insight into the future of their relationships by watching whether their Krathongs float together or drift apart.
The Loy Krathong Festival is celebrated nationwide in Thailand, especially where there are rivers, canals or sources of water, with different unique characteristics. Unfortunately, the ‘Loy Krathong Festival’ in contemporary Thailand seems far removed from the original concept of quiet contemplation and reflection, but judging by the huge crowds lining river banks, sea shores and even swimming pools, year after year, no-one seems to mind much.
The ritual of the ‘Loy Krathong Festival’ is really quite simple: ‘Loy’ literally translates to ‘float’, while “Krathong” is the Thai word for a sort of tray traditionally made out of banana leaves, the bark of a banana tree or spider lily plants. A Krathong is usually containing a candle, three joss sticks, some flowers and coins. Some even prefer not to include coins because of the recent trend of youngsters raiding the floats for pennies. Others include as well parts of their fingernails and a wisp of hair as personal adjuncts in their belief that their wishes will then come true.
Should you get the chance and are in Thailand by the time the Festival is held, go and buy a Krathong, light up the candles and the joss-sticks, and put in some coins and personal adjuncts (nails or wisp of hair). When you are ready to float your Krathong, don’t forget to make a wish … you will see your wish will come true.
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