Loi Krathong

My karthong given by Kob

You just have to love all the festivals here in Thailand.  This weekend was Loi Krathong, which is an adopted Buddhist festival celebrated all over the country.  It coincides with the months full moon and if this happens to be a weekday, then there is a holiday for it.  Mr John felt slightly aggrieved this year as it fell on Sunday. The purpose of this is to float away "all ones hatred, anger and defilements" whilst the candle venerates the Buddha with light.


It all started on Friday with a trip to Hang Out and fireworks were handed out to the patrons.  We then all had to stand by the corner and light them.  Mr John commented that if we had a blackout later that evening it would be because we were all stood pointing our fireworks at power lines!  Still, we survived.

Sunday saw all sorts of activity around town and the focus of the festivities was just down the road from ours at the temple.  There is a great set of steps that lead down to the water, which a lot of you are used to seeing covered in water, thanks to the floods we've had this wet season.  Still, all was perfect for launching the krathong.

In the grounds of the temple were all sorts of stalls selling everything from clothes to food.  Not only that, you could buy turtles and eels to release into the water or small birds to set free. Some people launched Chinese lanterns but the main tradition here is to float the krathong.  Chang Mai is the place to go to see the lanterns.  A friend of ours is there at the moment and he has some awesome photos.  I've been told the preferences for the ceremony are dependent on the location of rivers - as simple as that.

So here we are, all cleansed and ready for good luck for the coming twelve months and knowing that if we stray we can float another krathong next year!