Ek and Pad informed me with great formality on Friday that their workers will not be coming in over the weekend as it is the festival of Loy Krathong. Since they are on a contract that, in theory at least, tightly binds them to a completion date in December this does not bother me unduly so I look forward to enjoying Loy Karathong with Rachel
Loy Krathong is one of the most popular festivals in Thailand celebrated on the 12th month of the traditional Thai lunar calendar. The festival probably has its origins in India as it has similarities to Diwali. but in Thailand it has its origins in 14th century Sukothai.
So what is the festival all about? Well 'Loi' means 'to float' and a 'Krathong' is a small elaborate raft, normally made of a banana leaf and lotus flowers with a candle and joss sticks attached. The idea is to offer the Krathong to the Water Goddess by floating it on a body of water. Normally one gives a prayer of thanks and makes a wish. It is a beautiful and peaceful cultural tradition to see hundreds of lit krathongs float gently down the river.
The modern day Thais however like to celebrate the festival in a more dramatic fashion. The first indication of this came a couple of weeks ago when the authorities started pleading with the public not to use dynamite in the forthcoming festival.
DYNAMITE - what kind of celebration is this? Well I can tell you being in Chiang Mai for the three days of the festival was totally exhilarating, visually stunning and thoroughly dangerous! As well as Krathongs floating peacefully down the river and around the moat the sky is filled with flaming hot air balloons. These are called Khum Loi which are thin tissue balloons suspended on a light wire frame above a large candle. The candle is lit and the balloon fills with hot air until lift off. They float off hundreds of meters into the air and the skies are literally filled with thousands of them.
The serene beauty of the Khum Lois is contrasted by the complete chaos on the gound. It seems as though every second person is firing off fireworks into the night or dropping firecrackers at peoples feet. It is thrilling but hazardous and the fire brigade and ambulances are visibly standing by waiting to ferry the injured to hospital.
It is not a festival for Rasta dog - he has never liked fireworks! The festivities do not stop either throughout the night we are woken by huge detonations from across the city some of them way too powerful to be commercial fireworks. The dynamiters are out and about!
More Loy Krathong pics here
