Loi Krathong

I remember as a child watching Mulan, and being amazed, even through cartoon, with the beauty of the scene where the city celebrates with fireworks. I always wanted to see something like that, something as bright and colourful. Last night I attended the Thai Loi Krathong festival, and saw such beauty.

To explain the festival is quite simple. Loi means to float, and a Krathong is a little floating vessel made out of banana leaves and decorated with hair, flowers, incense sticks and candles. The people make their Krathongs a few days before, and the children make them in school, and then on night of the full moon in November they all go to the local lake and float their Krathong out onto the water. This is done to ask forgiveness to the water spirits for any pollution humans have caused over the past year.

The night is also a chance for locals to mix together, have a chat, and enjoy some nice food. There is a temple located beside Rattanaburi lake near me, and throughout the night the local people took the time to go in with their family and pray in the temple. Its nice to see that amid all the bustle of the people around the lake chatting and the music blaring on the speakers, that there is quiet and peace somewhere. Also the smell of the incense mixed with the candles from the Krathongs and the cooking around was fantastic. There was also a firework show during the night, and I have to say, the Thai's know how to do fireworks. These were so well timed, and had such amazing colours. I am rarely impressed by fireworks in real life, but I could have watched that show all night.

For me personally, although the Krathongs were beautiful, and their glow as they all floated together into the middle of the dark lake was stunning, I found the lanterns to be the best aspect to the night. Around the lake, after floating their Krathong, the people light large paper lanterns and set them up into the sky. Its so pretty to see dozens of these orange lights float off so quietly into the dark, and with the backdrop of the full moon in a clear sky behind them, well, its perfect really.