The Thai Loy Krathong Festival

Of all Thai festivities, none is so enchanting as Loy Krathong. It is celebrated annually throughout Thailand on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls on the last full moon in November, just after the end of the rainy season, when the sky is clear and the water level in the river is high.



"Loy" means "to float" and a "krathong" is a decorative object traditionally made from a section of banana stem as the base. It is a tiny vessel that carries people's aspirations and floats away their sorrows. Usually quite small, about 20 cm in diameter, they are traditionally decorated with banana leaves and flowers. The banana leaves are cut into pieces, folded and pinned around the circular base, onto which are laid flowers (especially orchids), and into which are stuck a candle and three joss sticks. A low denomination coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits.



Modern krathongs are also made of bread. There was a time, in recent years, when krathongs were made of Styrofoam, but the use of this synthetic material is now strongly discouraged by environmentalists and the authorities. A bread krathong will disintegrate in a few days and be eaten by fish and other river animals. The traditional banana stem krathongs are also biodegradable, but Styrofoam krathongs are frowned on, since they are polluting.

Under the full moon, people from all walks of life converge any convenient stretch of running water—canals, rivers and the sea—to launch their krathongs. It is a tranquil moment as the placid devotees, bathed in warm golden candlelight, go to the water's edge, light the candle and incense, and raise the krathong slightly above their heads in supplication and to make their wish. Then comes the release. Kneeling and leaning forward, they place the krathong gently on the water, and give it a little push to help it on its way. Traditionally, the wish-maker watches until the candle flame has floated out of sight or is lost amongst all the others.

To this day, similar customs exist in neighbouring Burma, Laos and Cambodia, and it seems likely that the festival us derived from a Hindu cultural tradition in honour of the god Vishnu. Others believe the festival to originate in an ancient practice of paying respects to the water spirits. Whatever its origins, the custom gained a particular beauty and popularity in the hands of the Thais, who have a much-loved legend about its origins.

Many Thais say it originated in Sukhothai, the first true Thai kingdom, established in 1238 AD in the north of present-day Thailand. Nang Noppamas was a royal consort of the 14th century Sukothai king Loethai and she was the first to float a decorated raft. She was renown for her beauty and skill in devising ways to please the monarch. One evening, as legend has it, as the royal entourage was gliding down the river to watch the full moon celebrations on the banks, she presented her latest novelty: a little boat in the shape of a lots blossom, made of deftly folded banana leaves, with incense sticks and a candle burning in the centre. From then on, the ladies of the court vied to see who could produce the most elaborate krathong, going far beyond the simple banana-leaf creation of Nang Noppamas. The krathong, it is said, soon ceased to be a purely aristocratic amusement and became widespread among the people.

The act of floating away the krathong is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a clean footing. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the krathong as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thais believe that floating a krathong will bring good luck, and they do it to honour and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha.

Today, having lesser religious significance, the Loy Krathong festival is simply a time to have fun. Krathong competitions exist on a scale unimaginable in previous times and the festivities are exuberantly inventive, full of merriment and madness, including fireworks displays and musical mayhem. Governmental departments, corporations and other organizations usually sponsor big decorated rice barges on the river. There are also local and officially organised competitions, where the beauty and craftsmanship of these highly decorated rices barges are judged.



In addition, there are also beauty contests during the celebration of the festival in public parks, usually along the riverbanks. Not unexpectedly, the beauty contests that accompany the Loy Krathong festival are known as Noppamas Queen Contests, a fitting tribute to the festival’s Thai origins.

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