A festive occasion for the month of November - Loy Krathong. Celebrated nationwide, it is an event when people launch krathong - a beautiful lotus-shaped vessel composed of banana trunk and leaves, flowers, a candle, 3 joss sticks, and some coins - into the river, canal, lake or body of water. As it occurs on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month, this year's Loy Krathong fell on the 2nd of November.
Floating the beautiful krathong away is the main activity of Loy Krathong which carries the message of traditional ritual to pay respect to the Goddess of Water, show gratitude on the abundant use of water and ask for forgiveness for polluting the water. Prior to the launch of krathong, people would light up the candle and incense sticks and pray or make wishes. Gently placing the float on the water and letting it drift away marks the act of releasing misfortune and bad things in the past and anticipating good fortune in the future.
Despite falling on a Monday - a non-public holiday, it didn't stop people from going out and having fun with friends and their loved ones. It was afterall a ritual and a good occasion to strengthen relationship among family members and friends.
I and T prepared our krathongs one day in advance. We did them with a group of our building residents in a krathong-making session taking place in the entrance area of our building. My krathong for T(1st and 2nd pictures) was completed within an hour as I was rushing to go back and bake macarons. But T took his own sweet time to make this wonderful and meticulous krathong with multi-layered banana leaf petals (3rd and 4th pictures) and gave it to me.
Being through this session and launching krathongs together with T, I would say Loy Krathong is certainly something to be rememberred for both of us.
