The history of Loi Krathong festival Loi Krathong festival is a Thai tradition which has been conducted for a long time ago. Loi Krathong has been held since the middle of the eleventh to the middle of the twelfth lunar month, which is a great flood season- especially on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. When the moon shines at night, it makes rivers clear. It is very beautiful scenery which is suitable for floating krathong. www.loikrathong.net
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loi krathong Festival In Thailand
Loy Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November. "Loi" means "to float". "Krathong" is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions use specially made bread 'flowers' and may use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a small raft like this on a river. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations also build much bigger and more elaborate rafts, and these are often judged in contests. In addition, fireworks and beauty contests take place during the festival. Letting a Khom Fai float in to the air at the Loi Kratong festival in Mae Jo Thousands of Khom Fai in Mae JoThe festival probably originated in India as a Hindu festival similar to Deepavali as thanksgiving to the deity of the Ganges with floating lanterns for giving life throughout the year. According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV in 1863, the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thai believe that floating a krathong will create good luck, and they do it to honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha (พระแม่คงคา). The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as "Noppamas Queen Contests". According to legend, Noppamas was a consort of the Sukothai king Loethai (14th century) and she was the first to float decorated krathongs. The Loi Krathong festival is also associated with the start of vegetable carving. The Thai tradition of Loy Kratong started off in Sukhothai, but is now celebrated throughout Thailand, with the festivities in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya being particularly well known. In Chiang Mai Loi Kratong is also known as "Yi Peng". Every year thousands of people assemble to float the banana-leaf krathong onto the waterways of the city, honouring the Goddess of Water. A multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom fai) are also launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the skies. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets. Kelantan also has the same celebration, especially in the Tumpat area. The ministry in charge of tourism in Malaysia recognises it as an attraction for tourist. Many people visit the celebration each year.
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Loi Krathong - Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun, Bangkok, November 2009
One of the key Thai festivals on the annual calendar, Loi Krathong, took place on Monday evening, Bangkok's populace heading in droves for the water to light candles nestling on small "rafts" (Krathong) that are then gently lowered into the river, wishes are made, the hopes and dreams of city dwellers, along with any bad luck, consigned with a flourish for safekeeping to the dark swirling waters of the Chao Phraya River which winds like a giant, lazy snake through the heart of Bangkok. I start tonights adventure at the southern end of the city where the BTS line crosses the river, and I get a quick idea what is in store when I try to squeeze onto the Skytrain at Siam, which is packed to the rafters, not the norm for the post rush hour. Alighting from the spur line at Saphan Taksin Station where the BTS disgorges passengers before skimming over the Chao Phraya on the Taksin Bridge, I am immediately and, but less unexpectedly by now, thrust into a huge scrum of people. I was expecting it to be busy here as this one of the key transport hubs where the BTS meets the river, but its really, really busy. Getting down to the Sathorn Pier it is a case of filing slowly along past stall after stall of Krathong makers selling their wares, people behind the tables busily crafting these intricate arrangements, as buyers flock around, with the skill and dexterity of a lifetime of experience. The Krathongs themselves are mostly around ten inches across with a base tightly fashioned out of banana leaves, a commodity widely used in city life, and intricately decorated with flowers and leaves, topped by candles. Loi Krathong is held annually on the full moon that falls in the twelfth month of the traditional Thai calendar, November, and the festival which has been celebrated for hundreds of years. It seems to have originated from India and at some distant point it was reshaped for Buddhist consumption here. Over the years Loi Krathong has evolved into one of the key highlights on the calendar, Thais using the occasion of the launching the little rafts to bring good luck, banish bad luck and pay homage to the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha. She brings purity and so launching the Krathongs washes away a person's bad points, anger, grudges and so on, with some people attaching hair or fingernails to symbolise the renewable points of the body. Incense sticks are also often attached. The river boats leave every five minutes from the pier under Saphan Taksin taking you on a swift journey up river, I guess of around 4-5 km or so, to a location opposite the imposing Wat Arun Temple, before whisking everyone quickly back to the same jetty. The crowds surge onto the boat and it speeds up river. One can never tire of the Chao Phraya River at night, all the buildings are lit up superbly, a mass of colours: lighting is one of the keys in this city. Searchlights pick out towering buildings that cluster around the waterfront, the undersides of huge river bridges are backlit creating scenes reminiscent of a Batman movie, and all the temples and key buildings are bathed in bright lights.
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How wonderful welcome you can get when visiting Thailand!
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