Loy Krathong

It is tough to stay ontop of keeping my blog up to date, but I am trying my best. Everyday is filled with new experiences and so busy.

So, once Katie and returned home from Hua Hin we decided to go down town to celebrate Loy Kratong. This is a Thai festival in which people offer thanks to the water goddess. Loy means to float and Krathong means a lotus-shaped vessel made of banana leaves. The Krathong usually contains a candle, tree joss-sticks, some flowers and coins. On the night of Loy Krathong, people light their candels on their krathong and cast it into a river or waterway. It is believed that the Krathongs can carry away sins and bad luck, and the time to start the coming new year. People usually make a wish at the same time as casting thier krathong. It is believed that if the candle remains burning until the krathong is out of sight then their wish will come true.

Katie and I decided to buy a krathong and participate in the festivities. We went on a boat on the river to cast away our krathong. It was quite interesting and beautiful to see all the krathongs floating down the river by candle light. It was so crowded and so many people packed the sides of the river all trying to cast away their krathongs. Quite beautiful until the next day when all the canals and rivers are polluted with the reminence of the krathongs!