Loy Kratong
The best cut, paste and invention I can do is this!
Most of what is written else is just tourist brochure or invention of tradition splurge.
Ban Chang, Thailand. Two students perform traditional dance to celebrate Loy Kratong. In their left hands they hold a lotus flower containing a candle.
The festival of Loy Krathong, known as Yi Peng in the north, has many conflicting explanations of its origins and purposes. Is it a Brahmanic rite honoring the dead? A plea for an end to the rainy season? A celebration of the end of rice planting? Is it a way of ridding oneself of bad luck, or the accumulated sins of the year past?
Different legends surround the origins of Loy Kratong. The most popular version is it was an expression of gratitude to the goddess of water 'Phra Mae Kongka' for having extensively used, and sometimes polluted, the water from the rivers and canals. It is also in part a thanksgiving for her bounty in providing water for the livelihood of the people.
Some believe the festival originates from Buddhism. They say the offering of flowers, candles and joss-sticks is a tribute of respect to the footprint of the Lord Buddha on the sandy beach of the Narmaha River in India, as well as to the great Serpent and dwellers of the underwater world, after the Lord Buddha's visit to their watery realm. It is possible that this is derived from a Hindu festival that pays tribute to the god Vishnu, who meditates at the center of the ocean.
Others believe that the floral kratong is offered to the pagoda containing the Lord Buddha's topknot, which was cut off at his self-ordination and is now in heaven. Another explanation is that it is a way to pay respect to one's ancestors.
Another version has it that young couples launched their krathongs together in order to secure their happy and successful journey through life together.
According to a common version the festival was established under the reign of Sukhothai King Ramkamhaeng in the 13th century. His wife, Noppamas, daughter to a Brahmin court priest, was the kingdom’s most famous poetess. She introduced to the King the practice of constructing floats of lotus flowers to send down the river. the King made Loy Krathong into an official state ceremony. (Loy means, "to float", a krathong is a "receptacle made of banana leaves.") The Nang Noppamas Beauty Contests, commemorate this woman's contribution to Thai culture.
But this story may be mere legend. Some scholars have recently contested idea that Rama Kamhaeng devised the Thai system of writing in 1283. Instead, it is possible that the 19th-century King Rama IV inventedthis first formulation of Thai script in order to demonstrate to the europeans that Thai culture and learning was on par with Europe's. Or he might have intended to create a false, but expedient sense of Thai national identity to help deflect colonial encroachment. Possibly the Loy Krathong story along with ‘ancient’ legends was created for similar reasons.
In any case, Loy Krathong has become perhaps Thailand's most beautiful, colourful, and - at least until Bangkok's government started cracking down on the use of firecrackers in public places - noisy. Still, the fireworks begin well before the festival's actual commencement, occurring on the day before the full moon of the 12th lunar month, which usually falls in late October or November.
Building krathongs is an integral part of the festival and a social event in itself, although it is possible to buy pre-made krathongs at roadside stalls.Families will collect or buy the necessary items and make kratongs together.
A krathong's base is a squat, cylindrical cross-section of a banana tree's spongy stem. In Bangkok. Experiments have been made with using Styrofoam instead, because the decomposition of thousands of organic krathongs in Bangkok consumes oxygen needed by marine wildlife. Of course Styrofoam does not decompose at all, which makes the notion of the festival as penance for dirtying the river quite daft.
This was an idea of Samak the recent governor of Bangkok, now reincarnated as a TV chef.
In general, krathongs are made using only natural materials. Folded banana leaves are attached to the krathong base using toothpicks or pins; and then the krathong is decorated with flowers and a candle, joss-sticks, incense, a lock of hair,and a fingernail clipping . A one baht coin also is added
K and I put photographs, nail clippings and locks of each other hair into the Kratongs.
Elodie thought they were variously cakes, because they had candles and hats.
The candles were not supposed to go out which was a sign wishes had been granted.
If the candle stays afloat longevity, too, will surely ensue together with our love! Mmm?
Towards dusk the temple compounds will be a seething mass of vendors and entertainments. All manner of goods are for sale, while dance troupes perform traditional and modern dances and plays, particularly ‘Likay’. Celebrants often dress in traditional Thai styles. Lantern-bedecked parade floats weave through the streets, while on the river boats take part in racing competitions.
We will light khom loys, These are cylyndical hot air lanterns sent high into the sky until their orange light is hidden in the clouds
Finally, the candles and incense of the krathongs are lit, and everyone makes for water Wishes are made the krathongs are set afloat. Any body of water will do, but in Sawankhalok we use the Yom river in Sukothai thelake in the Historical Park, in Bangkok and Chiang Mai the Chao Phraya and Ping Rives. In Phuket we used to launch the kratongs into the the ocean; the trick being to get far enough out beyond the surf. However even so they are likely to wash up later.
If the intention of floating kratongs is to cast away one's sins, is their return some confirmation of the irrevocability of karma?.
The young boys, being practical, get into the river or the lake and nick the coins from the Krathongs.
When you really want to push the boat out these elaborate festivals can accompany Loy Kratong
The Jong Priang, Lote Choot, Loi Khome Long Nam royal ritual begins with an assembly of Buddhist monks for the recital of evening prayers. The next morning, the monks receive offerings from the king. Brahmin priests then perform the ritual in the Brahmin Hall.
Candles and the "priang receptacle" which contains oxen fat or butter are presented to the king. The candles to be presented as sacred offerings are anointed with oxen fat or butter, lit by the king and placed in three distinct types of lanterns. Each denotes the rank and social status of the individual.
The Khome Chai lantern (the lantern of victory) with its nine-tiered umbrella is symbolic of the king. Its bamboo frame is covered with white fabric decorated with stained glass or coloured mirrors. The Khome Chai lantern is fixed to a wooden lantern pole with swan-shaped hooks adorned with dainty bells. In contrast, the Khome Pratiab lantern of the royal concubine features a seven-tiered umbrella, while the tubular-shaped bamboo Khome Boriwarn lantern of the royal entourage and attendants has a three-tiered umbrella.
The lit lanterns are hoisted onto lantern poles lining the palace walls as well as along the outer walls of the palace and the living quarters of the court attendants. At the end of the designated period, the lanterns are taken down from the poles and floated in the waterways.
‘Loi Prateep’ with Illuminated Replicas of the Royal Barges
The "Loi Prateep" royal ritual was performed in the royal court on the night of the full moon of the twelfth lunar month. The ritual begins with the king making offerings of rice, followed by Buddhist sermons being held in the Grand Palace.
The king then placed floral offerings at the "Ubosoth" (chapel) of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Si Rattanasatsadaram, and the "Ho Phra" scripture hall of the Grand Palace, before setting off to Ratchaworadit Pier to float the giant krathongs.
What is notable about the water-borne procession of "Loi Prateep" is the impressive fleet of no less than five hundred illuminated vessels, each with two lit candles and an incense stick, being carried down-stream.
Two royal ceremonial barges serve as the State barges, the third carries a sacred Buddha image and the fourth carries other sacred and floral offerings. Other vessels consisted of escort boats, floating Thai orchestra, police boats, firework boats, and others. One of the accompanying vessels, the Phraya Chodeuk Ratcha Setthi Chinese Junk stands out from the rest.
However they don’t do that often and anyway only in BKK..the affair in Sukothai was a deal muddier, but E quite excited by it all.
Now we are off to the real thing in Sukothai City!…I think it will be ‘Son et Lumiere’ at its worst. The slightly amazing thing to me, at least, is that in 30 years no-one here has ever been!! Its 20 miles away.
Yes, well…the Sound and Light turned out to be a most lugubrious affair performed at snail’s pace. Nothing much happened for 10 minutes except a few bursts of illumination of the Sukothai ruins, then there were a couple of invisible battles and a lot of folk milling around being ‘alive’; enter a king or two and finally hundreds of dancers who while beautiful did not as they say ‘do much’. Finally a cast of some 500 put half a dozen kratongs into the lake. This version of the story apparently first written and performed for ‘The Emperor of Japan some 10 years ago. Poor chap I wonder what he made of it. Perhaps he got a Japanese voice over instead of the usual pompous basso profundo that accompanies so many ‘serious’ activities here!
