Loy Krathong 2017

Loi Krathong is one of the oldest Thai holidays and is committed on November 04, 2017. Due to the lunisolar calendar, however the date in the Gregorian solar calendar varies from year to year. The Festival of Lights, as Loi Krathong is also known, represents the covenant between the Thai culture and the water. Other names would be Lantern Festival or Festival of Floating Bowls. Particularly well known are the festivities in Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, where they partially persist for several days.

Translated into English Loy means to float and Krathong is a kind of raft. This raft which traditionally consists of banana leaves is left, decorated with candles, flowers and incense sticks into the water. The background of this tradition is the belief that together with the raft, the sins and mistakes of the past year are washed away and room is made for new happiness in one’s life. It is one of the most important Thai traditions, which means that on this day all waters, whether rivers, lakes or the ocean, are adorned with thousands of luminous rafts.