Loy Krathong: Another Day, Another Internationally Famous Holiday in Thailand

Craft Time in Class

Unlike some of Thailand’s other holidays, this one imposes very little on daily life and doesn’t start until after the moon has risen. Unless of course, you’re a cultural ambassador or a wealthy Thai, in which case you will spend your day designing and building your basket. I was taking language classes at the time and my school insisted that we made our own krathongs (baskets) in class as part of our cultural education.

Ryan Farley / Own Work

I swear Thai people are built with a sixth sense for art and I was yet again embarrassed by my inability to make anything half as appealing as my teacher’s krathong. She endlessly lamented the ugliness of her own multi-tiered beauty while telling me that mine was, “very good!” through clenched teeth.

The floating artifices are made from a variety of banana leaves and colorful flowers attached to a section of banana tree trunk about six inches in diameter. Finally, three (it’s always three in Buddhism) sticks of incense are planted in the middle of the decoration, alongside a single candle. Older, more traditional celebrations involve adding a physical piece of yourself to further the symbolism of letting go of your own negativity. This was/is usually fingernails or hair. I opted to skip that part.

Ryan Farley / Own Work