Loy Krathong and Yi Peng are the two major lantern festivals in Thailand.
If you want to get a whole new experience on your Thai trip, then do visit the country in November. At this time, the Land of Smiles gets to celebrate two vivid festivals full of joy, liveliness, and happiness. One is the Loy Krathong, which is celebrated nationwide, while the other one, Yi Peng, is celebrated only in the northern region of Thailand.
Both the festivities are usually characterized by enthusiastic crowds, dazzling decorations, long parades, live music, dance shows, delicious food, and a lot more. Thousands of locals as well as foreign tourists gather together and get lost amidst the celebrations of lights and colors.
Now, read ahead to learn about various aspects of the two festivals.
Loy Krathong, which literally means “to float a basket”, is a majestic festival taking place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. It’s a traditional Thai festival where the people gather around lakes, rivers, and canals to release krathongs, or “lotus-shaped rafts decorated with banana leaves, flowers, and candles”.
As per history, the festival originated in the ancient city of Sukhothai, hundreds of years ago. This is a way the Thai people thank the Water Goddess (Pra Mae Khongkha) for supplying an abundance of water and also apologize for using too much or polluting it. A lot of people put small coins in their rafts as gifts to the water spirits.
Also, some consider the act as a way of floating away from all the negativities and starting a new life altogether. On the other hand, the couples release their krathongs together and wish for a happy married life ahead.
Places like Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Phuket, and Bangkok are famed for celebrating the Loy Krathong festival on the highest level.
If you’ve seen Disney's ‘Tangled’, then you are familiar with the imagery of the magnificent Yi Peng festival. This is also held on the evening of the 12th full moon in the Thai lunar calendar. However, unlike Loy Krathong, Yi Peng is very much rooted in Buddhism. The traditional festival sees thousands of people gather together and release lanterns (known as khom loi) into the night sky.
As per history, the festival originated in the Lanna Kingdom during the late 13th century. It’s believed that when you release the lantern, you let go of all your mistakes and misfortunes from the previous year. Also, whatever wish you make at that moment will come true in the coming year.
The Chiang Mai region is the best place to experience the Yi Peng festival.
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