Map Sabai Vol.40

In this month's edition of Map Sabai (Vol.40)

Cover Photo:

Yi Peng Lantern Festival

Feature Story:

Loy Krathong

Art Space:

Featured Artist: Tin Win

Loy Krathong

Loy Krathong is one of the oldest and most popular festivals held in Thailand. It is celebrated on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar, which this year falls on November 11-13.

During the festival, people set afloat (“loi”) a "krathong" – a raft made out of banana leaves, decorated with flowers, candles, incense sticks and some coins – while making a wish. The tradition of Loy Krathong in Thailand goes back to a romance in the Sukothai era in the 13th century. According to the legend, Nang Noppamas, a royal consort of King Ramkhamhaeng (the founder of Sukhothai), made the first krathong, setting it afloat on one of the canals of the palace so that it would drift past her lover the king. The king was delighted with the creation, and thus was the origins of the saying that if two lovers release a krathong and it stays afloat until out of sight, their love will last forever. Apart from the romantic interpretation, the act of floating away the krathong is symbolic of letting go of all one's bad virtues and sins, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. Many Thai people believe that it will bring good luck, and they do it to venerate the Buddha with light (the candle on the tray) and to pay homage to the Goddess of Water.

In Chiang Mai, the Loy Krathong festival is traditionally accompanied by the “Yi Peng Lantern Festival”, where hot-air lantern balloons (“Khom Fai”) made of paper are launched into the night sky, seemingly filling the sky with thousands of brightly shining stars. Traditional belief has it that when these balloons are set adrift and floated away, so do the troubles of the people who launched them.

Another important part of the festivities is the parade of giant krathongs from Thapae Gate to the riverside, where one can also get a glimpse at the contestants to the “Noppamas Queen Contest”, the traditional Loy Krathong beauty contest which refers to the romantic origins of the festival back in the Sukhothai era.