Continuing the theme from the last post of festivals that are incredibly aesthetically pleasing, our next destination is Thailand for two very famous light festivals occurring on the same day, called Loy Krathong and Yi Peng.
Loy Krathong is on October 31 this year and is known as the Thailand Lantern Festival. This festival is celebrated nationwide, and people release lotus-shaped baskets decorated with candles and flowers onto the rivers. The most popular places to go to celebrate Loy Krathong are Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, and Bangkok. The history behind this practice is deeply rooted in Thailand’s history, originating to pay homage to the spirits of the river and the water gods for providing rain. Further accounts including statements by King Mongkut, who lived from 1804 to around 1869 state that this festival used to be Brahmanic later adopted by Buddhists to pay homage to the Buddha by the beauty and purity of the lights on the river. In the United States, there is no large event that resembles Loy Krathong. I do not think it would be feasible to replicate this festival here because although it would be very beautiful, environmental concerns like litter being released into our waterways and risks of fire outbreaks from the candles would not be received well by the general public.
Yi Peng, the other festival, is also celebrated on the same day in Northern Thailand, especially I Chiang Mai. This festival is different than Loy Krathong because although lights are involved, they are released into the sky in lanterns instead of onto the rivers. On the lanterns, people write phrases of good luck and prayers and send them up into the sky, hoping that they will come true. The lanterns, called khom loi in the native language, are made of rice paper stretched over a bamboo frame with a candle attached to the base. The heat produced by the candle gets trapped inside the lantern, allowing it to rise high into the sky. Like in the United States, the lanterns are unpredictable and are subject to many governmental restrictions. This festival also had Buddhist ties. It is believed that Yi Peng originated in India to celebrate the legend in which a bird carrying a candle visited the Buddha, speaking to him about merit. Since paying respect and speaking with the Buddha is considered a way to be reborn in the next life, people release their lanterns in the sky as a way to communicate with the Buddha, while also releasing their own mistakes and bad luck. If the released lantern disappears into the sky before the light goes out, it is believed that the person who released it will have good luck in the next year. However, if it crashes, the next year will be plagued by bad luck, so this festival has significance to many people in determining their fortune in the future year.
With this in mind, there are several important “rules” of Loy Krathong and Yi Peng to mention. Since they are heavily tied to Buddhist religion, it is extremely important to follow Buddhist etiquette for dress code and manners. Without proper behavior, it would be easy to offend someone, their beliefs, and their culture. As visitors, we must maintain good connections with the locals and ensure that we do not impose on their culture to be respectful. This is the most important aspect of these festivals to consider. Others include ensuring safety with flames of the candles and keeping your travel buddies close, as these events tend to get crowded and it is easily to get lost in the chaos.
In just one day, a journey to Thailand could completely blow your mind with the incredible views and pure aura surrounding this festival. Satisfy your Tangled light festival dreams and attend Loy Krathong and Yi Peng.
I find light festivals to be extremely fascinating. From the pictures I’ve seen of them, they’re very beautiful to look at as well. I hope to attend one someday, and Thailand seems like a great place to do so!
Wowza! The sheer quantity of lights in these celebrations is insane, they provide such a warm glow and so beautiful.
I think that light festivals are such an interesting way to gather people together all to simply be in an experience. It is so interesting to learn how common events have been tied to religious events in the past.
This festival looks absolutely beautiful. I have never experienced something like this in my entire life, and if I went to this I would feel like I’m in the movie Tangled for sure!!