LOY KRATHONG

Loy Krathong (or Loi Kratong, Thai ลอยกระทง) is a festival celebrated in Thailand. It is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar, but in the western calendar it usually falls into November.

“Loi” means “to float”. “Krathong” is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions often use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc.

Loy Krathong

The festival was later adapted by Buddhists in Thailand a ceremony in honour to the Lord Buddha. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. In the olden days, Thai people used to cut their fingernails and hair, floating away the clippings on the raft too, as a symbol of the bad parts of oneself one was letting go of.