| Loy Krathong | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Floatingkrathong in Chiang Mai | |
| Official name | Loy Krathong[1] |
| Observed by | Thailand,Laos (asBoun That Luang), northernMalaysia,Shan inMyanmar, andXishuangbanna in China, Myanmar (asTazaungdaing festival),Sri Lanka (asIl Poya),China (asLantern Festival), |
| Type | Asian |
| Significance | Worship and ask for forgiveness from Goddess of waterGanga, worship the Buddha's hair pagoda in the heaven[2] |
| Date | Full moon of the 12th Thai month |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Tazaungdaing festival(in Myanmar),Mid-Autumn Festival(in China),Bon Om Touk(in Cambodia),Il Poya(in Sri Lanka),Boita Bandana(in Odisha, India) |
Loy Krathong (Thai:ลอยกระทง,RTGS: Loi Krathong,pronounced[lɔ̄ːjkrā.tʰōŋ])[a] is a Thai festival celebrated annually throughoutThailand and in nearby countries with significantSouth Western Tai cultures (Laos,Shan,Mon,Tanintharyi,Kelantan,Kedah,Perlis andXishuangbanna). The name could be translated as "to float ritual vessel or lamp," and comes from the tradition of makingkrathong or buoyant, decorated baskets, which are then floated on a river. Many Thais use the krathong to thank the Goddess of Water and River,Goddess Khongkha (Thai:พระแม่คงคา) This festival traces its origin back to India.[5][6]
Loy Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditionalThai lunar calendar, thus the exact date of the festival changes every year. In the Western calendar this usually falls in the month of November. InChiang Mai, the festival lasts three days, and in 2024, the dates were 15-17 November.
InThailand, the festival is known as Loi Krathong. Outside Thailand, this festival is celebrated under different names, includingMyanmar as the "Tazaungdaing festival",Sri Lanka as "Il Full Moon Poya",China as "Lantern Festival" andCambodia as "Bon Om Touk".[7][8][9][10][11]
Akrathong is traditionally a small floating container fashioned of leaves which is made to hold a small portion of goods like a traditional Thai dish (such ashor mok) or dessert. The traditional krathong used for floating at the festival are made from a slice of a banana tree trunk or aspider lily plant. Modern krathongs are more often made ofbread orStyrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish. Banana stalk krathongs are also biodegradable, but Styrofoam krathongs are increasingly banned, as they pollute rivers and oceans. A krathong is decorated with elaborately folded banana leaves, three incense sticks, and a candle.[12] A small coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. On the night of the full moon, Thais launch their krathong on a river, canal, or a pond, making a wish as they do so. The floats are thought to have been introduced toChiang Mai in 1947 and have since been incorporated into Thai culture.[13] Government offices, corporations, and other organizations launch large decorated krathongs. There are competitions for the best of these large krathongs.Beauty contests often accompany the festivities and fireworks also have become common.
The practice of Loy Krathong in Thailand which rootsHindu in origin,[14][15]: 32 derived from the Hindu festival ofDiwali,[16] the festival of lights celebrated inIndia as Hindus were known to celebrate the Diwali festival to worship the divine trinity and those Hindus who were converted toBuddhism had created a rite similar to the Diwali.[17]Hinduism has existed inSuvarnabhumi in a syncretistic relationship withTheravada Buddhism at least since 5th century B.C.[15]: 108
Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries.[18][19][20]Similarities can be observed withKartik Purnima celebrated in the eastern state of Odisha in India. This festival is calledBoita Bandana\ Dangā Bhasā, which is observed on the Kartik Purnima or full moon day of Kartik month (which corresponds to October–November) inOdia calendar. Loy Krathong festivities are usually celebrated during the period which corresponds to Kartik Purnima. Odisha being part of the ancient Kalinga which had strong maritime trade relations with Southeast Asia, the similarities in all these festivals may not be coincidental.[21]
According to the 1999 Royal Institute Dictionary,loi (ลอย) means 'to float', whilekrathong (กระทง) has various meanings, one of which is 'a small vessel made of leaves which can be floated on water during the Loy Krathong festival.' Moreover, according to theRoyal Society of Thailand, the wordkrathong is derived fromOld Chinese word鐙 or燈 (/*k-tˤəŋ/) which means ritual vessel or lamp.[22][23][24][25][26][27] However, other sources believekrathong to be a derivate of theMalay wordkantong (Kantong), which has a similar pronunciation and the same meaning.[28][29][30][31]
Loy Krathong is once said to have begun in theSukhothai Kingdom by a court lady named Nopphamat. However, it is now known that the Nopphamat tale comes from a poem written in the early-Bangkok period.[32] According toKing Rama IV, writing in 1863, it was aHindu festival that was adapted byThai Buddhists in Thailand to honour theBuddha, PrinceSiddhartha Gautama. The candle venerates the Buddha with light, while the krathong's floating away symbolises letting go of all one's hatred, anger, and defilements. People sometimes cut their fingernails or hair and place the clippings on the krathong as a symbol of letting go of past transgressions and negative thoughts. Many Thais use the krathong to thank the Goddess of Water, theHindu GoddessGanga, Phra Mae Khongkha (Thai:พระแม่คงคา).
Simon de la Loubère led an embassy toSiam (modernThailand) in 1687 (the "La Loubère-Céberet mission"). Upon his return, La Loubère wrote a description of his travels, as had been requested byLouis XIV, published under the titleDu Royaume de Siam.[33] Loy Krathong festival was mentioned in his book in the sixth chapter of part two called Concerning the Shows, and other Diverſion of the Siameſes: Religious Shows: An Illumination on the Waters, and another on the Land, and in the Palace.
"The Siameſes have alſo ſome Religious Shows. When the Waters begin to retreat, the People returns them Thanks for ſeveral Nights together with a great Illumination; not only for that they are retired, but for the Fertility which they render to the Lands. The whole River is then ſeen cover'd with floating Lanthorns which paſs with it. There are of different Sizes, according to the Devotion of every particular Perſon; the variouſly painted Paper, whereof they are made, augments the agreeable effect of ſo many lights. Moreover, to thank the Earth for the Harveſt, they do on the firſt days of their Year make another magnificent Illumination. The firſt time we arriv'd atLouvo was in the Night, and at the time of this Illumination; and we ſaw the Walls of the City adorned with lighted Lanthorns at equal diſtances; but the inſide of the Palace was much more pleaſant to behold. In the Walls which do make the Incloſures of the Courts, there were contrived three rows of ſmall Niches all round, in every of which burnt a Lamp. The Windows and Doors were likewiſe all adorn'd with ſeveral Fires, and ſeveral great and ſmall Lanthorns, of different Figures, garniſhed with Paper, or Canvas, and differently painted, were hung up with an agreeable Symmetry on the Branches of Trees, or on Poſts."― Simon de la Loubère.
The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as "Nopphamat Queen Contests" has been promoted since the reign ofKing Rama III.[34] Since the country became peaceful after getting involved with many wars, King Rama III ordered the palace officers and people to revive and promote the important festivals of the kingdom, such as Loy Krathong. According to legend written on the poem, Nang Nopphamat (Thai:นางนพมาศ; alternatively spelled as "Noppamas" or "Nopamas") was a consort of the 13th centurySukhothai KingSri Indraditya (who is also known asPhra Ruang) and she reputedly was the first to float a decorated raft.[35] However, this tale may have been invented in the early-19th century. There is no evidence that a Nang Nopphamat ever existed. Instead, it is a fact that a woman of this name was the leading character of a novel released at the end of the reign ofKing Rama III, around 1850 CE. Her character was written as guidance for all women who wished to become civil servants.Kelantan inMalaysia celebrates Loy Krathong similarly, especially in theTumpat area. The ministry in charge of tourism inMalaysia recognizes it as an attraction for tourists.
Loy Krathong coincides with theLanna (northern Thai) festival known asYi Peng (Thai:ยี่เป็ง).Yi means 'two' andpeng means a 'full moon day'.Yi Peng refers to the full moon day in the second month according to the Lanna lunar calendar (the twelfth month of theThai lunar calendar).[36] The festival is meant as a time to makemerit.
Swarms ofsky lanterns (Thai:โคมลอย;RTGS: khom loi), literally: 'floating lanterns', are launched into the air. Khom loi are made from a thin fabric, such as rice paper, stretched over a bamboo or wire frame, to which a candle or fuel cell is attached. When the fuel cell is lit, the resulting hot air is trapped inside the lantern and creates enough lift for the khom loi to float into the sky. During the festival, some people also decorate their houses, gardens, and temples withkhom fai (Thai:โคมไฟ), intricately shaped paper lanterns which take on different forms.Khom thue (Thai:โคมถือ) are lanterns which are carried around hanging from a stick,khom khwaen (Thai:โคมแขวน) are the hanging lanterns, andkhom pariwat (Thai:โคมปริวรรต), which are placed at temples and which revolve due to the heat of the candle inside. The most elaborateYi Peng celebrations can be seen inChiang Mai,[37] the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom, where now both Loy Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated at the same time resulting in lights floating on the waters, lights hanging from trees/buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating in the sky. The tradition ofYi Peng was also adopted by certain parts ofLaos during the 16th century.
A lesser-known aspect of Loy Krathong is the tradition where personal items such as finger or toenail clippings are sometimes placed on the krathong before it is floated away. This practice symbolizes letting go of old negativity and inviting new growth and positive energy for the year ahead. This intimate gesture of release adds a deeply personal and hopeful element to the festival, highlighting its role not just as a visual spectacle but also as a spiritual renewal and self-cleansing ritual for many participants. The floating away of these personal tokens is meant to carry away one's bad luck and misfortunes with the flowing water, creating space for fresh blessings and happiness in the coming year. This detail is often overlooked but enriches the cultural and emotional significance of Loy Krathong beyond its aesthetic beauty and communal celebrations.[38]
In 2016, theBangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) cleaned six tonnes of rubbish from the city's waterways on the day after Loy Krathong. The city governor said that 661,935 floats were collected from waterways acrossBangkok. Of these, 617,901 (93.7 percent) were made of decomposible natural materials, while 44,034 were non-biodegradableStyrofoam floats. There were 163,679 fewer krathong collected than in 2015. The city mobilized 210 workers and 45 boats to collect floats from theChao Phraya River and canals.[39]
In 2017, because thesky lanterns are a hazard to passing aircraft and "...can cause damage to important places in the areas such as the Grand Palace [sic], temples and governmental offices,..." khom loi are increasingly subject to governmental restrictions. In Chiang Mai, authorities cancelled 78 flights in and out ofChiang Mai Airport on 3–4 November 2017. Another 79 flights were rescheduled.[40] Despite those measures, the remains of more than 100 lanterns were later found on airport premises.[13] In Bangkok, the public are prohibited from using fireworks and sky lanterns entirely. Violators may face three years imprisonment and/or a fine of 60,000baht.[41] One hundred-ninety piers on the Chao Phraya River will be open to the public to float their krathongs. In 2018, up to 158 flights were cancelled or rescheduled at three airports, and in Bangkok 88 piers were closed.[42]
In 2017, inNakhon Ratchasima province, 50 workers collected krathong from the moat in the town centre near theThao Suranaree Monument. InBuriram, more than 200 workers and volunteers inMueang District cleared at least 20,000 krathong from the town's moat. There, Styrofoam krathong will be banned in 2017. InLampang, more than 100 students and teachers from the Institute of Physical Education helped municipal workers clean up theWang River inMueang District.[39]
In 2018, after the festivities, Bangkok city workers cleared 841,327 krathongs, up from 3.6 percent in 2017, from the Chao Phraya River, local canals, and 30 public parks; 5.3 percent of them were made from styrofoam.[43]
| Zodiac | Date | Date | Date | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | 24 November 1996 | 12 November 2008 | 31 October 2020 | 17 November 2032 |
| Ox | 14 November 1997 | 2 November 2009 | 19 November 2021 | 6 November 2033 |
| Tiger | 3 November 1998 | 21 November 2010 | 8 November 2022 | 25 November 2034 |
| Rabbit | 22 November 1999 | 10 November 2011 | 27 November 2023 | 15 November 2035 |
| Dragon | 11 November 2000 | 28 November 2012 | 15 November 2024 | 3 November 2036 |
| Snake | 31 October 2001 | 17 November 2013 | 5 November 2025 | 22 November 2037 |
| Horse | 19 November 2002 | 6 November 2014 | 24 November 2026 | 11 November 2038 |
| Goat | 8 November 2003 | 25 November 2015 | 13 November 2027 | 31 October 2039 |
| Monkey | 26 November 2004 | 14 November 2016 | 1 November 2028 | 18 November 2040 |
| Rooster | 16 November 2005 | 3 November 2017 | 20 November 2029 | 8 November 2041 |
| Dog | 5 November 2006 | 22 November 2018 | 9 November 2030 | 28 October 2042 |
| Pig | 24 November 2007 | 11 November 2019 | 28 November 2031 | 16 November 2043 |
