Loi Krathong

Loi Krathong (also: Loy Krathong, Thai ลอยกระทง ) is the festival of lights, which is celebrated nationwide in Thailand on the day of the full moon in the twelfth month of the traditional Thai lunisolar calendar. It usually falls in November.

Loi means to swim or float Krathong is a small raft, which is typically made ​​of a portion of the stalk of the banana tree. Recently there is also rafts made ​​of foam polystyrene and those from bread dough, which dissolve after a certain time environmentally friendly and also offer the fish food. The thus constructed raft is decorated with banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense. State and municipal offices, businesses, schools, universities and other organizations often build bigger and technically very elaborate krathong, which are often evaluated and judged in beauty contests.

The festival probably originated in India as a Hindu festival as a thanksgiving to the deity of the Ganges is celebrated with floating lanterns that are designed to live all year round giving. The floating rafts have the meaning, let go of all the anger, resentment and all the impurities of the soul, so that life can begin again from a better vantage point. The Thais make their relatives or with a larger group of friends, in the sense of a folk festival eating and drinking plenty on the streets. The waters of the rafts is also popular especially among young couples, which also emphasize that their togetherness.

The tradition of Loi Krathong in Sukhothai began and is now celebrated throughout the country, with the festivities in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya being particularly well known. ( Thai: ประเพณี ยี่ เป็ ง ) In Chiang Mai, the feast after the Lanna tradition, Yi Peng is called, then allowed hundreds of small balloons ( Khom Fai - โคม ไฟ or Khom Loi - โคมลอย ) rise into the night sky. In addition, there are processions through the cities, a kind of nocturnal counterpart to those of Songkran. In Bangkok was earlier in the evening of the Loi Krathong also shot fireworks, but this has been prohibited since 2005.

Loi Krathong 2007 in Lumpini Park, Bangkok

Loi Krathong 2007 in Lumpini Park, Bangkok

Loi Krathong in Mae Jo in 2008, Chiang Mai

Dates

In the western Gregorian calendar, the date for Loi Krathong is variable; but falls mostly in November:

  • November 2, 2009
  • November 21, 2010
  • November 10, 2011
  • November 28, 2012
  • November 17, 2013
  • November 7, 2014

Loi Krathong is the last full moon of the Thai year. As always begin in the Thai calendar system, the months with the new moon, Loi Krathong is there constant 15 ( the twelfth month ) instead. The full moon in each 15 represents the middle of the month, which divides the months into a half of the month with the waxing moon and a second half of the month with the waning moon. It counts for the Buddhists to the holy days.

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