EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Mark Rogers
Celebrated nationwide, The Loy Krathong tradition in Thailand is a beautiful one. It’s a practice that would benefit us in the west, since it’s designed to float away the misfortunes of the past year while at the same time asking for a little good luck in the days to come. In Thai "Loy" means to float and "Krathong" denotes a circular floating object adorned with banana leaves, flowers, a candle and sticks of incense. Loy Krathong is based on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month, which in 2010 falls on November 21. All across the country people will come out on that date and launch their krathongs upon rivers, canals and lakes. The practice is rich in Thai tradition, but that doesn’t exclude tourists from participating. The Loy Krathong festival is also a spirited time of krathong-making contests, beauty pageants, cultural performances and fireworks.
Click here for a fascinating video of the Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai 2009 by Chip Olson. Chip’s website is main.chipolson.com and he can be reached at chipolsonphoto@gmail.com.
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