Coming back to Bangkok after 2 months of business trip in the Philippines. No more hotel breakfast, no more English speaking surroundings, but travel plan would be still going on. I am a travelholic yo!
First festival I came across after coming back, was the Loy Krathong festival. I have heard about this festival since I was small, as the Siamese temple located at Baling which I visit annually, also organizes the same event every year. There is even a classic Thai song which is related to this festival.
Loy Krathong festival is celebrated during the evening of the full moon of the 12th Lunar month in traditional Thai calendar. In the western calendar, this festival usually falls within November. This festival also marks the end of the rainy season when the full moon lights up the sky.
The Thais usually gather around the lakes, rivers and canals to float the lotus shaped rafts, made by banana leaves and decorated with flowers, incense and candles, into the water. Floating the krathong away symbolically floats away one's anger, hatred and negative thoughts, and start anew free of the negative feelings. Some would make wishes before releasing the krathongs too.
Many foreigners know this festival as "water lantern festival", as the festival is very picturesque by having lights of candles floating along the stream of rivers, or floating on the lakes. As this was my first time celebrated this festival in Thailand, I went to the lake park nearby my office, the Lumpini Park, to join the fun of the festival.
As I reached there at 8 p.m. many people already gathered around the lake, floating their krathongs. I bought mine too, and joined the crowd to release the krathong.
Some couples were seen to release their krathongs together, wishing for long lasting love, especially when their krathongs remains together upon releasing.
Watching the krathongs drifting away, wishing that my sin and bad lucks washed away as well. Thankfully I am always lucky in my life, perhaps I should be grateful to the krathong that I released 4 years back.
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