loy krathong

Every November I think back to our honeymoon in Thailand, and in particular back to our first evening in Chiang Mai during the festival for Loy Krathong. Jet-lagged and slightly delirious, the firecrackers and crush of people downtown proved to be mind-boggling! On this night, full moon on the 12th month of the lunar calendar, the Thai launch small krathongs (little rafts made from banana leaves, flowers, candles etc) into the river in thanks to the goddess of water, who gives life to all things. Our guide Nikki led us down the embankment to the Ping River (no small feat), but I thought we both might be crushed into the water when we released our krathong. Luckily we managed to stay dry.

The other amazing spectacle takes place in the sky. Thousands of Khom Fai or hot-air balloons waft into the warm night air. This translation caused us some confusion, a more apt description may be hot-air lantern. These giant paper lanterns are said to release your troubles as they innundate the skies with white lights, either flaming out or eventually disappearing into the darkness above.

This was one of those unforgettable evenings you remember your entire life. We were told by many that Chiang Mai was the place to be for Loy Krathong, but next time I would like to expereience it in a smaller village for comparison.