Loy Krathong Festival
Lighting up the waterways
Loy Krathong Festival| Img by: UrbanUrban_ru via Flickr,CC BY-SA 2.0
This commemoration happens usually on a full moon night in November as it is the twelfth month in the lunar calendar. It is a thanksgiving celebration for the goddess of water. The local community gather together by canals, rivers and lakes to set their Krathongs afloat on the waters. The Krathong is a lotus-shaped raft on which incense and candles are prepared and sent floating on the waters. The lambent candles that light up the mass of water is a lovely sight to catch.
There are a few explanations as to why the Thais celebrate this day. Specifically, to thank the water goddess for a lavish year’s harvest, to ask mercy for polluting the water and to let go of resentments and all such negative emotions. The Thais believe that including a lock of hair or a fingernail on your Krathong will help let go of the pessimism. If you wish to get a hint of this festival, plan your visit in the month of November. Hotels such as Chatrium Golf Resort Soidao which is a hotel in Chanthaburi may also host such celebrations by the pool.