Loy Krathong and Candle Festival 2008

LOY KRATHONG AND CANDLE FESTIVAL
November 12, 2008
At the Sukhothai Historical Park


From morning until night on the radio, and with everyone humming it whilst making their krathongs. You will audible this song ( The Loy Krathong Song ) all day. Therefore you able to sing Loy Krathong.


The lyrics In Thai

Wan Pen Duan Sip Song
Nam Koh Nong Tem Taling
Rao Tanglai Chai Ying
Sanuk Ganjing Wan Loy Krathong
Loy Loy Krathong
Loy Loy Kratong,
Loy Krathong Gan Laew
Koh Chern Nong Kaew
Awk Ma Ram Wong
Ram Wong Wan Loy Krathong
Ram Wong Wan Loy Krathong
Boon Ja Song Hai Rao Suk Jai
Boon Ja Song Hai Rao Suk Jai

Translated into English:

The full moon of the twelfth month,
As water fills the banks,
We, all men and women,
Have really good fun on Loy Krathong day,
Float, float the krathongs,
Float, float the krathongs,
And after we have floated our krathongs,
I invite you my dear,
To come out and dance,
Ramwong [traditional dance] on Loy Krathong Day,
Ramwong on Loy Krathong Day,
Good merit brings us happiness,
Good merit brings us happiness.

Event Highlights:
~ The Sukhothai Loi Krathong and Candle Festival begins with the Phra Mae Ya invocation ritual and a ritual to pay homage to King Ramkamhaeng The Great.
~ Cultural performances and Thai musical performances
~ A procession of giant krathong floats
~ Miss Noppamas beauty contest
~ Khome Loi (hoisted lanterns) Procession
~ Krathong floats and lantern contests
~ Traditional Thai fireworks display
~ Khantoke — a traditional Thai-style set dinner
~ The Kingdom of Sukhothai light-and-sound presentation
Traditional floating market, food fair, and folk games

As the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (usually in mid-November) lights up the night sky, throughout the Thai kingdom, hundreds of thousands of ornately-decorated krathong or traditional banana leaf floats are set adrift in rivers and waterways in a spell-binding ritual called Loi Krathong - the 'festival of lights". This is one of the Kingdom's oldest and best-preserved traditions.

The Loi Krathong tradition we know of today has evolved from the royal rituals of the early Rattanakosin period in which several types of lanterns were set afloat in the Chao Phraya River and its waterways. The practice was subsequently adopted and adapted by common folk.

Krathong floats are made from basic materials easily found around the village and reflect the simplicity of life beyond the palace walls. They typically take the shape of lotus in full bloom, swans, chedis (stupas), and Mount Meru from Buddhist mythology. However krathong floats in the shape of lotus blossoms are most
popular.

The sight of thousands of tiny candlelit floats drifting downstream is nowhere more spectacular than in Sukhothai, the first Thai capital, where this annual tradition originated. Watch dazzling firework displays, cultural performances, folk dances and a dramatic light and sound presentation.

Other activities include a Khantoke Thai-style set dinner, merit-making rituals in which sacred offerings are presented to 109 Buddhist monks, Buddhist sermons, demonstrations of textile weaving and the production of silver ornaments, and a specially staged traditional floating market, complete with food fair and folk
games.

The Origins of Loi Krathong,there are various fascinating accounts about the origins of Loi Krathong. It is not known as to when the tradition first began but authorities speculate that it is of Indian origin and based on the "Deepavalee" ritual which is also accompanied by floating lights in an act of worship of the Brahmin gods - Brahma, Siva and Vishnu, or an act of remission to the Indian Ganga or Ganges. According to another school of thought, the ritual is said to be based on ancient Buddhist tales and is undertaken to pay respect to the sacred footprint of
the Lord Buddha on the bank of the mythical Nammadhammahantee river.

However, given the river-based culture that formed the foundation of the traditional Thai way of life, Loi Krathong evolved into a ritual in which offerings are made to Mae Khongkha – Mother of Waters, the Thai equivalent of the Hindu goddess of water, in an expression of gratitude for providing life-sustaining water throughout the year. It is also believed that the offering are made in an act of appeasement to beg her forgiveness for Man's carelessness in polluting the pristine water that ourishes all life. Over time the tradition spread throughout the country.

Some believe that by setting the krathong adrift, one symbolically casts away one's grief, misery and ill-fortunes to the extent that there are bizarre tales of the superstitious placing tufts of hair or clipped finger-nail into the krathong in the hope of ridding themselves of a spell of bad luck or misfortune. Coins are also
placed in the krathong as offerings.

For the romantic at heart and young couples, Loi Krathong is the time to make wishes for happiness together and success in love.

Loy Krathong 2008 in Soppong, Mae Hong Son, Thailand
a traditional celebration in a small village.
November 11-12, 2008

This year, the Loy Krathong festivities in Soppong (Pangmapha District. Mae Hong Son Province) fall on 11 and 12 November 2008, with the 12th being the full moon day of the twelfth lunar month, and the day when most of the festivities happen ("Loy Kathong Yai"). To many, Loy Krathong (sometimes called "yee ping" or the 'festival of lights') is the most beautiful festival and ceremony of the year in Thailand.

Being a small and relatively remote village, Soppong is a wonderful place to participate in the Loy Krathong festivities. You may have seen the grander celebrations in Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, or the villages closer to the big cities that are more accessible to tourists, but Soppong is still a very traditional and much quieter experience.

RESERVATIONS
KINGDOM OF SUKHOTHAI LIGHT-AND-SOUND PRESENTATION
Please contact the Sukhothai provincial office
Tel: +66 (0) 5561 1619

Contact information:
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Sukhothai Office
Areas of responsibility: Kamphaengphet, Sukhothai
Tel: +66 (0) 5561 1196
Fax: +66 (0) 5561 1196

IMPORTANT
Event dates and programme details may be subject to change.
Many of the festivals and events listed on Thailand's official calendar of annual events are traditional

Buddhist or folk festivals, the date of which is either determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and waxing and waning moon. These are not staged events. The festivals reflect the rhythm of life in rural Thai villages and local traditions as observed in times past. To ensure you have the most updated information, please
reconfirm details prior to travel.
Contact:
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Email: info@tat.or.th
Website: www.tat.or.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 (120 automatic lines)
Fax: +66 (0) 2250 5511 (two automatic lines)

FOR EVENT INFORMATION,
please call 1672.

Address:
1600 Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee
Bangkok 10400
Thailand

Source from:
*Loy Krathong 2008 in Soppong, Mae Hong Son, Thailand
a traditional celebration in a small village
*Sukhothai Loi Krathong and Candle Festival