Loy Krathong

Posted by admin on November 19th, 2010 filed in Uncategorized

Loy Krathong takes place on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month in the traditional Thai calendar, and usually falls in November in the Western calendar.

‘Loy’ means ‘to float’ and a ‘krathong’ is a small raft traditionally made from a cross-section of the banana tree trunk. Rafts are also crafted from bread or Styrofoam. Using bread is the best choice for the environment, as many rafts and materials in the river can cause a huge water pollution problem.

While banana leaves are biodegradable, it takes longer to degraded than bread. Bread also serves as food for fish and other animals in the river. So, bread is the most environmental friendly choice to make a raft, and foam is the worst and should be avoided. Rafts are decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense sticks. Those sending the rafts out to sea often place a few hairs from their head on the raft.

During the night of the full moon, participants send their krathongs out on a river at midnight. Thai people believe that the Loy Krathong Festival honors and pays respect to the goddess of water, as well as apologizing to the Goddess of the Water for disrespecting the water throughout the year.

In the usual lively spirit of Thai festivals, there are always competitions, markets, fireworks and cultural displays during the celebration.