Loy Krathong Festival

Thailand : Loy Krathong Festival

On the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month (usually in November), Thailand holds one of the nation's biggest festival called "Loy Krathong Day". There are celebrations throughout the country. Loy Krathong Day in 2010 will be on November 21st. Now let's see what it is about.

What is Loy Krathong? 

"Loy" means float and "Krathong" is usually a lotus-shaped raft. There are many legends about Krathongs, who and when and why they have been created. However, there is an evidence on stone script from Sukhothai period (about 700 years ago) that there was a festival floating lanterns which is believed to be the same as "Loy Krathong" festival now.

The most popular version of Krathong legend is krathong has been invented by a Sukhothai King Ramkamhaeng's concubine named "Nang Noppamas" during old capital "Sukhothai" period. The festival during that time was floating the lanterns to the air. But Nang Noppamas invented a beautiful krathong using a lot of beautiful flowers decorated on a lotus-shaped water floating lanterns. King Ramkamhaeng saw her krathong and really impressed. So he announced that every full moon night in the twelfth month would change from floating lanterns to the air to this lotus-shaped krathong floating on water to pay respect to the Buddha's footprint in the waterworld of Nammathanati river in India.

Purposes and Beliefs of Floating Krathongs 

Reasons for floating krathongs vary in different areas such as

1. Floating krathongs to thank and ask for forgiveness to Water Goddess or "Pra Mae Kongka" because all year round we use water in our every day life: to drink, to cook and sometimes throw rubbishes and released waist things in the water.

2. To worship the footprint of the Buddha at Nammathanati River in India. There was the belief that once the Buddha went to underwater world, to Naga realm and left his footprint on the beach. Nagas are snake-like animals in the legend live in underwater world, there is still myterious event happened every full moon night on 11th month of lunar calendar that there will be a lot of fireballs coming up from the center of Mekong River. It is believed that Nagas living in Mekong River release those fireballs to pay respect to the Buddha. Nobody until now truly know how and why this happens only on the full moon night of 11th month which is the day the 3-month buddhist lent completed.

3. To float away bad luck, misfortune, sadness and diseases just like in Bhrama ceremony. Some people will cut his hair and nail putting on krathong too.

4. To pay respect to Uppakud, a monk who has supernatural power to kill Mara. He is believed to meditate undersea now. This belief in quite limited to only Northern Thailand areas.

Krathongs Making 

Krathongs can be made using various materials. The traditional krathong uses banana trunk and banana leaves folding in many styles as main base materials Then the materials have been changed over time, foam and colored paper had been widely used instead. Until people recognized that foam and non-natural materials caused high water pollution and harm the fish. So natural materials gain popularity in use again. Some krathongs are made with bread that can be food for the fish later.

No matter what kind of materials used, every krathongs will have flowers, a candle and 3 incense sticks to pay respect to the Buddha.

Various Materials Used In Krathongs Making 

Traditional style krathong will be made of banana leaves, banana trunk decorated with flowers

This kind of krathong is attractive to small kids due to its colorful and bright colors. This style was once widely used, but not anymore as they create water pollution.

New krathong bread-based materials are developed lately as they can then be food for the fish.

Some Beautiful Large Krathongs 

"Nang Noppamas" Beauty Contest 

One popular activity held nationwide is the beauty contest. The winner will be called "Nang Noppamas". On Khaosan Road also has Nang Noppamas contest every years. The contestants are foreigners from any countries. They are beautiful in Thai costumes, don't you think so?

Where to Float Krathongs 

Actually krathongs can be floated on any water: rivers, canals, ponds, swimming pool or even a bowl of water at home. Anyway I still have to say that floating krathongs on the river under the full moon is the most romantic way. When I was a kid, our family usually went to Ping river (one of four rivers that become Chao Phraya River later). We went down from the bank, prayed and floated away our krathongs in the running water. After I moved to Bangkok I rarely have a chance to float my krathong on the river again because it's so crowded that you will have much less time time to pray and slowly float your krathong.

Anyway there are still many good ways and places you can enjoin this festival. Some hotels and restaurants will have special dinner event on Loy Krathong Day, they often show Thai classical dance, Thai mask dance (Khon) and any other culture shows. Or you can have dinner on the cruise, then you can float your krathongs while enjoy beautiful scenes of Bangkok at night.

The big festivals also celebrate throught the country such as in Sukhothai, the origin of the Loy Krathong Festival, or Chiang Mai which also has its own style of krathongs and festival called "Yi Peng" happened on the same day.

Chiang Mai Yi Peng 

"Yi Peng" is northern Thai dialect. "Yi" means second and "Peng" means month. According to Lanna lunar calendar, floating lanterns will be held on full moon night of in the second lanna month which is the same as 12th month in lunar calendar. People in northern Thailand will decorate their houses and cities with lanterns or "Khom Fai", hanging lanterns or "Khom Kwan" and they will launch floating lanterns or "Khom Loy" to the air.

The reasons of floating krathongs to the air is believed to pay respect to the Buddha's hair that had been cut off at the time he left the palace to seek for enlightenment. His hair is believed to be taken by Indra God and kept in Chulamani Chedi in heaven.

So in Chiang Mai you will see lights floatingon water, lights floating in the sky, lights on the roads, in temples and houses. This is stunning scene shouldn't be missed.

Inside floating lantern or "Khom Loy", it is called "Wowhom" or "Wowkwan" in northern dialect.

Hanging lanterns or "Khom Kwan"