Loi Kratong: Festival of Lights

Yesterday (the full moon of the twelfth lunar month) was Loi Kratong, one of Thailand's most important holidays. A Google search will get you more information about the holiday, but no one is sure on the history nor is there a unified significance behind floating a Kratong. Loi means float; a kratong is a decoration meant to float. Basically, a person or group floats a kratong out onto a body of water to symbolize letting go of negative feelings and light a candle to symbolize a prayer or a wish. Kratong are traditionally made from banana plants: a slice of trunk as the base with strips of leaves folded for decoration. We did not want to cut down one of our banana trees for just a slice, and I didn't find any bases for sale, although I'm sure they could be found if I knew where to look. At the supermarket on Sunday, I noticed bread kratongs, so I decided to bake a round loaf of bread for our base. A bread kratong takes three days to compose (according to a poster I saw) as opposed to fourteen for a banana one and fifty years for a Styrofoam base.

When the bread base was ready, I called the girls to go out to the yard to gather flowers and leaves. We covered the base with a banana leaf and made a border of folded strips. We used only toothpicks for holding in place. Our main flowering plant is a bougainvillea bush, so it turned out a lovely pinkish-purple. It proved to be beautiful reflecting the candlelight. We were pleased with the outcome, and I fervently hoped it would float.

We took a picnic supper to nearby Jatujak Park. I placed the kratong on a plate, covered it with a large bowl and carried it in a cloth casserole holder. Thankfully, it made it to the park in good condition. The girls played at the playground until it began to get dark, then we ate supper. A crowd began to form around the pond. I remarked to Philip how neat is was to have a holiday that basically requires everyone to gather with strangers at a public place. Our nearest equivalent would be Fourth of July when we gather outside to watch fireworks. We cleared up our picnic and joined the crowd. We watched a few others light and float their kratong, so we would know the "proper" way to do it. Then we lit our candle, thanked God for the Light of the World, and floated our kratong. Yes, it did float! The girls and I splashed waves to push it further out. Among the mostly boughten kratong, ours was lovely.

A couple nearby gave the girls sparklers. We watched others light and float their kratong, a few small families and many couples, only a few other farang (non-Asian foreigners). We felt a part of the Thai culture in a small way. Although it gets dark around six o'clock and was only about seven, the girls were tired. We went to the edge of the pond to say good-bye to our kratong. It was the furthest one out and the candle was still lit. Good Night, Loi Kratong!