Vacation Thailand - Loy Kratongs Festivals  ... by ash-hotel.com
Loy Krathongs full moon festival in November each year

Nationwide - the full-moon day of the twelve lunar month - 
Tuesday 19 November 2002, Saturday 08 November 2003, Friday 26 November 2004

The Loy Krathong  occurs on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, usually in November. Traditionally, the festival marks the end of the rainy season and the main rice harvest, and it is a time for  Thais across the Kingdom to flock to rivers, canals, and ponds to make offerings. 'Loy' means 'to float' in Thai, and 'krathong' are vessels for these offerings. The aptly titled Loy Krathong festival sets the stage for a breathtaking visual feast of color and lights that carry special significance for Thais.
In its traditional meaning, 'loy krathong' is the act of setting offerings afloat to pay homage to Mae Khong Kha, the goddess of the waters. Water has long served as a lifeline for the people of Thailand, and indeed the rivers of the land have nourished the Kingdom's burgeoning communities for centuries. The festival gives Thais the opportunity to honor and pay respect to the enduring life-giving powers of the water, as well as to make penance for having made the water impure through pollution and careless littering.

According to legend, the custom of making offerings to the water originates in Sukhothai during ancient times. A young girl by the name of Nang Nopamas, thought to have lived during the  reign of King Ramkhamhaeng, wished to make an offering to the water spirits as a part of the festivities to mark the end of the rainy season. Fashioning a delicate float in the shape of a lotus flower, she offered it to her King, who graciously accepted it and set it afloat down the  river on the night of the full moon. This beautiful method of making offerings to the water endured, and candles are placed in the krathong and let alight as they are placed on the water to float where the currents take them. People also place flowers, incense, and coins in the krathong as part of the offering.

While the offerings are made to honor the spirits of the water, the meaning of the festival has evolved over time to represent a spectrum of meanings for Thais, often touched with superstitious and mystical undertones. Viewing the Loy Krathong celebration as a form of making penance, some take it further and see it as a way of washing away their sins of the past year. To this end, some krathongs have snips of hair and nails placed inside to symbolize 'dead' elements that should be set adrift, and people believe that reciting prayers as they  set their krathong afloat will bring better luck in the next year.

For young couples, the festival allows them to turn the page and take a peek into the future. It is said that if the krathongs of a couple float in the same direction and stay adrift, there is a bright future ahead for the lovers.  Students at Chulalongkorn University, however, believe that couples who 'loy krathong' together will see the demise of their relationships in the next year.  Regardless of the true meaning of Loy Krathong, the festival is inextricably tied with beliefs personal to Thai people, and Thais journey to the waterside to float their krathongs with friends and family on a night filled with festive excitement.

In Bangkok, the banks of the Chao Phraya River represent a spectacular diversion from the urban landscape, and the twinkling lights of krathongs gently bobbing up and down beneath the glow of the full moon form a picturesque canvas to highlight this lovely celebration.

While traditionally krathongs were crafted from banana leaves and other natural greenery to form the cup-like vessels, their modern manifestations present an opportunity to exhibit creative flair. The traditional lotus shape of krathongs has evolved to embody delicate birds, boats, and other imaginative shapes to reflect inventive tastes, and a variety of materials ranging from brightly-colored paper to textured fabrics to sparkle and glitter have been used in their construct. Recent years, however, have seen a sense of environmental preservation prevail, and people have returned to designing krathongs that utilize nature's elements such as flora and fauna so as not to pollute the water further. Still, the fascination with the aesthetic remains, and for children, making krathongs is something akin to crafting Christmas ornaments in Western cultures, allowing them to put their unique stamp on these creations and have the delicious thrill of seeing them dance down the river.

For many, releasing these charming krathongs into the warm embrace of the water remains the most splendid moment of the evening. the sight of these brilliantly lit krathongs as they weave their way through the currents is an exquisite vision to behold. Though beauty  pageants to select a beautiful young woman to represent Nang Nopamas, folk dancing and light shows usually accompany the festivities on the night of the moon, Loy Krathong continues to hold a deeper meaning beyond entertainment and its aesthetic pleasures.

By allowing Thais to express gratitude to the powers of the water through lovingly crafted krathongs, the festival represents the harmonious intertwining of human faculty and nature. The festival's age-old significance remains intact, and it is a beautiful tribute to the life force that has nurtured the Thai people for centuries.

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