LOY
KRATHONG FESTIVAL
CHIANG
MAI
THAILAND
Loy
Krathong Festival is spectacular and meaningful
in Thai culture.
Thais are sending
gratitude to the
Goddess of Water and asking for blessings.
The
festival occurs
on full moon of the 12th month
of Thai lunar calendar.
Krathong
is a bascet decorated with flowers and candles released into rivers
and
lakes in a special ceremony. It is also a festival of lights and
dancing.
In
Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand Loy Krathong Festival is celebrated
with Yi
Peng
Festival, which involves releasing lanterns, khom loy, into the night
sky.
Both
festivals involve visitors not just enjoying dances, fire shows and
atmosphere
of unity with Thais but taking active part in releasing krathong into
the
river and khom loy into the sky. The Chiang Mai festival involved so
many
visitors
that the night sky sparkled with 4000 lanterns released in unison.
