Loy Krathong Festival

STORY
         in November on the night of the full moon, every part of Thailand comes to life. No,we're not talking about the famous full moon beach parties in the south. This is the night where Thai people celebrate one of the most beautiful festivals in Thailand - Loy Krathong.

         This festival of lights and water is remarkable as it is usually celebrate at night, where thousands of lights from the krathongs and the floating lanterns illuminate the rivers and the night sky.

THE ORIGIN OF LOY KRATHONG
         
          The festival is held on a full moon night in November of every year when the tide is at its hightest nad the weather is starting to cool down. Loy is a Thai word for to float while Krathong refers to a small decorated raft usually made of banana leaves and shoots.The Krathong plays an integral part in the festival as a form of offering to pay respect to the goddess of water. Some believe the festival of Loy Krathong has its origins from a Hindu tradition where devotees pay respect to the gods of the Ganges River, then later adopted by the believer of Brahma Buddhism

          The festival is said to have originated in the province of Sukhothai but since then it has evolved into different regional celebrations with their own takes ont festivities.

          Today, Loy Krathong is regarded as a festival of new beginning. Couples float their rafts together in hopes of a brighter future in their relationship. Singles float theirs in hopes of finding new a rekindling lost love. it is also a festival of forgiveness where mistake and regrets are symbolically floated away with the raft.


THE CELEBRATION

          Though the festival is called Loy Krathong, some part of Thailand celebrate the festival differently but all of them still maintain the same symbolic gesture of forgiveness and new beginnings.

           Up north we have the Yee Peng Festival in the province of Chiang Mai. This spectacular Loy Krathong festival is observed by floating lit lanterns or Khoem Yee Peng into the night sky. This tradition was originally founded during the Ayuthaya era, then named "Loy Phraprateep" , where these lanterns were simbolically sent to the heavens to pay respect to the Lord of Buddha.

           In Isaan (Northeasthern), Loy Krathong is celebrated with a carriage of the boats. Usually held in Nakhonpranom, these boats are designed traditionally with banana leaves and decorated with various Thai flowers as well as candles and lanterns to illuminate the vessels. The Isaan people believe that by making the boat as a family, you will be blessed by the Lord of Buddha.
        
LOY KRATHONG IN BANGKOK

           Traditionally, Loy Krathong is usually celebrated by the river where families and friends gather by the nearest pier or river bank and float their krathongs together. In Bangkok, there are also a number of parks, ponds and pools where you can celebrate the festivities.

           For parks, Suan Lumphini on  Rama IV Road has a large lake in the middle, which is perfect for big groups of friends and families. Another park worth checking out is the Benjakitti Park in Asoke. This park is vast and has a long lake right in the middle of it. At these parks you can even rent a boat and paddle out into the lake for a more intimate Loy Krathong moment.

           Most of Bangkok's major colleges are also open to public during the festivities. The most popular lake, where couples go to their romantic wishes granted, is at Chulalongkorn University on Praya Thai Road. The legend has it, that if you're sigle, you'll get together with the person you're floating the krathong with. However, floating as a couple here can cause the two of you to break up.

           Of course we cannot talk about Loy Krathong without mentioning the Chao Praya River. if you don't mind the crowd, there are a number of piers the are popular among the locals such as the Tha Pra Arthit Pier on Pra Arthit Road and by the Rama VIII bridge near Samsen Road. if you'd like a more sophisticated Loy Krathong experience, Bangkok's selection of premier riverside hotels sush as The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok Mariott, and the Royal Orchid Sheraton are just a few of the prominent venues the not only offer special Loy Krathong dining promotions but also a cruise along the Chao Praya on their respective wooden ferries. 
      

Loy Krathong Tips:
- Don't worry about not being able to buy a krathong. During the festival, there will be a lot of sidewalk stalls offering different designs and size of krathongs to suit your need.

- Bangkok's traffic is already bad on weekday, but during the festivals, it can get much worse.
 
To advoid the traffic, forget a taxi. The BTS Skytrain and the MRT Subway can take you to number of public parks sush as Chatuchak Park, Suan Lumphini Park, Benjakitti Park and Benjasiri Park, which are hotspots for Loy Krathong.

- On a krathong people usually put a candle, an incense stick, and a few coins into the krathong as an offering to the goddess of water. Don't alarmed if you see children in the water stealing money from your krathong. It is usually the best part about the festival for kids.



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