Loi Kratong

[lilly79]

Hello Chiang Rai!

I've been here a couple of months and have not celebrated Loi Kratong before. I will be at the Mae Fha Luang bridge tonight to celebrate this.

I hear a lot of short stories about Loi Kratong, but can't make 1 story out of it. Is there a real story about Loi Kratong???

Would be grateful if anyone here, could tell me what the real story is about Loi Kratong.

HAPPY LOI KRATONG!

Lilly

[ISPY]

Hello Chiang Rai!

I've been here a couple of months and have not celebrated Loi Kratong before. I will be at the Mae Fha Luang bridge tonight to celebrate this.

I hear a lot of short stories about Loi Kratong, but can't make 1 story out of it. Is there a real story about Loi Kratong???

Would be grateful if anyone here, could tell me what the real story is about Loi Kratong.

HAPPY LOI KRATONG!

Lilly

I will be there.....show you around???

[tayto]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loy_Krathong

“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. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a small raft like this on a river. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations also build much bigger and more elaborate rafts, and these are often judged in contests. In addition, fireworks and beauty contests take place during the festival.

The festival probably originated in India as a Hindu festival similar to Divali as thanksgiving to the deity of the Ganges with floating lanterns for giving life throughout the year.

[svenivan]

The important thing before you send your float aways is that you tell "Mother of water" that you are sorry for doing bad to her water like peeing in it, making it dirty etc etc and then you thank her for giving you water to drink, water to give to your rice, your vegetables, your flowers etc.

It is really a beautiful ceremeny!

Happy Loi Kratong!

[ISPY]

Hello Chiang Rai!

I've been here a couple of months and have not celebrated Loi Kratong before. I will be at the Mae Fha Luang bridge tonight to celebrate this.

I hear a lot of short stories about Loi Kratong, but can't make 1 story out of it. Is there a real story about Loi Kratong???

Would be grateful if anyone here, could tell me what the real story is about Loi Kratong.

HAPPY LOI KRATONG!

Lilly

I will be there.....show you around???

Didn't see you at the bridge.....grrrrmfff , where were you???

[Joel Barlow]

perhaps the most amazing thing about this very popular 'celebration' (ceremony?)

is that it is not, and never has been, a legal holiday (here in Thailand, at least).

Yes, certainly started as a Hindu thing.

and that military preparedness park by the bridge can be quite nice,

but why, oh why must everybody want to be at the same place at the same time doing the same thing?

too crowded to walk, too smoky, too dirty to eat...

but the khom fai (locally, khom loi) floating against the night sky are lovely

(have yet to see them floating by in front to the full moon, though - wonder why that is?)

as are many costumes seen in the parades

[saparot]

The important thing before you send your float aways is that you tell "Mother of water" that you are sorry for doing bad to her water like peeing in it, making it dirty etc etc and then you thank her for giving you water to drink, water to give to your rice, your vegetables, your flowers etc.

And many of the floats are made of non biodegradable polystyrine bases!

[lilly79]

Thanks for adding more information on this topic.

The celebration was great and there were SOoooooooooooooooooooo many people!!!

WOW!!! amazing! Had no idea they celebrate it this way.

Great atmosphere. Lots of hot air balloons and fireworks.

Very nice to see the "ceremony" with the Loi Kratong. As many families are getting around by the water and "pray" first and then release their kratong.

But what my question really was actually the story they played on stage. With some kinda Thai historical figures and a man and a woman, some look a like guards.

It looked like a Romeo and Julliet play or something like that? (could be that I'm so wrong....)

Does anyone knows what I mean and can tell me more about that story?

[ImageDude]

You will probably find the answer here Lilly,

http://www.thaistudents.com/festivals/krathong.html

Take care and have a nice day.

ImageDude

[mumbojumbo]

The important thing before you send your float aways is that you tell "Mother of water" that you are sorry for doing bad to her water like peeing in it, making it dirty etc etc and then you thank her for giving you water to drink, water to give to your rice, your vegetables, your flowers etc.

It is really a beautiful ceremeny!

Happy Loi Kratong!

I thought the kratongs were supposed to carry your troubles and problems away, not apoligise for peeing in her.

[sceadugenga]

We had fun.

[tayto]

We had fun too.

[konjianghai]

In the north of Lanna kingdom we called it as "Yipeng" which we celebrate along Loy kratong festival. Lanna people have a different calendar then central Thais. We called this month 'Duen Yi'.

Yi means in khum muang for 2, Peng means phen(general thai) for moon or full moon.

Yi Peng = full moon in second(2) month.

2 or 3 days before Yi Peng day peoples will gather coconut brances, banana trees, sugar canes and flowers to make an intrance gate for their houses and at the temple gate called as 'Pratue Pah' wild gate. At Yi Peng day itself peoples heading to the temple doing merit praying and making offers for their past family members and love ones. In the evening they'll light up their homes with lantern and candles as later on floating the khoms then loy kratong at last.

This is an example of how 'Pratue Pah' looks like. Maybe you have seen it already at your local temple.

There's 2 ways to loy khom by day and night.

At day time the name of the khom are 'wow' made from many bright color papers so you can identify them right up in the sky. They often put money or item and message along the khoms. Kind of bring good luck and wishes to the person who will found it. Or the message might says that the one who've found it must collect the price from the owner.

The one they float at night is 'Khom Fai' made from white paper for better night view when you light the fire. Beliving that by floating khom to worship 'Pra Kethkaewjulamanee' (พระเกษแก้วจุฬามณี) in heaven on top of Sumeru mountain the center of the universe.

After that peoples start to float loy kratong.

I wish everyone a nice Loy Kratong day. I've missed loy khom like 10 years or more but i've never lost the festival feeling from it. Really envy you all.

[konjianghai]

Where did this even took place that you've went too? Tomorrow seems to be the last day of the festival. Tomorrow there is Kratong contest and miss Loy Kratong going on at Pattaya Noi. Dont miss out!

[Joel Barlow]

just found this informative link on www.2bangkok.com

http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php?blog=8...p;tb=1&pb=1

it's great! check it out and learn!