Loy Krathong is one of the most anticipated festivals in Thailand. Every year tourists from all over the world rush to Thailand to join this festival. So what exactly is Loy Krathong and why do people appreciate this festival so much?
1. What is Loy Krathong?
Loy Krathong is Thailand’s very own ‘festival of lights’. It is celebrated in Thailand, Laos and some other places in Southeast Asia that have a Thai or Tai heritage. During the festival, people gather around lakes, rivers and canals to pay respects to the goddess of water by releasing beautiful lotus shaped rafts, decorated with candles, incense and flowers onto the water.
2. When is Loy Krathong celebrated?
Loy Krathong is usually celebrated on the evening of the full moon on the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar.
Subsequent festival dates (these dates may change):
2017: 3rd November
2018: 23rd November
2019: 13th November
2020: 1st November
3. How long does Loy Krathong last?
It lasts three days. The first day is the lantern festival, the second day is the full moon day and the third day is now the day of the Loy Krathong parade.
4. What does Loy Krathong mean?
The verb Loy means to float. Krathong has various meanings. In this case it is small container or basket made of banana leaves, adorned with flowers, incense and candles. Loy Krathong means “to float a basket” which is what many people do during the festival on one of the three days.
5. Why is Loy Krathong celebrated?
It is believed that the light festival originated with paying homage to the spirits of the rivers and thanking the water god for the rains.
According to King Mongkut (1804-1869), it used to be a Brahmanic festival later adopted by Buddhists to celebrate the Buddha. The candles pay homage to Buddha with the beauty and purity of light. In the still of the night, there are lights everywhere. Before the celebration, there’s silence: monks are meditating, surrounded by flickering candles.
6. Where and how to celebrate Loy Krathong?
Celebrated all over Thailand, the most exciting festivities take place in Bangkok and Old Sukhothai, as people gather at rivers to float krathongs, and to watch folk dancing or sound-and-light performances.
For the full flying-lantern experience, head up to Chiang Mai for the Yi Peng Festival, where lanterns are sent floating gracefully into the sky, creating an exotic atmosphere.
See more: Songkran Festival, wet or very wet!
Source: Internet
