Loy Krathong Festival

The most colour festival during the year is Loy Krathong (ลอยกระทง) held on the full moon of the 12th lunar month (usually in November). This year it will be on Monday 14th November 2016. This is a festival to pay respects to the Mother of Water to ask for forgiveness for polluting the water in the past. Loy means to float and a krathong is a kind of bowl.

On the afternoon of the festival a parade takes place through the city. Krathongs of all shapes and sizes are placed on floats and carried by school children. A typical krathong is made using banana leaves. The base is from the stem of a banana plant. Incense sticks, a candle and flowers are placed inside the krathong. During the evening, thousands of people go down to the river or their local klong (canal) to float their krathongs. They light the candle and incense sticks, say a prayer and then float it on the water. It is a wonderful sight with flickering lights bobbing up and down on the water and fireworks exploding above.

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