November 15, 2002. 10:00 am to 11 am @ APCC.
Join us for a celebration on the first full moon of the twelfth lunar month in Thailand by learning how to make a Krathong (leaf cup)
Learn more about this traditional celebration presented by Choochart Braga
Loy Krathong
Loy Krathong is a Thai festival celebrated annually throughout the Kingdom of Thailand and in nearby countries. The name could be translated as "to float ritual vessel or lamp," and comes from the tradition of making krathong or floating, decorated baskets, which are then floated on a river. Many Thais use the krathong to thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha or to worship the Buddha's hair pagoda in the heaven. This festival can see the traces of its origin back to both India and China
Loy Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar, thus the exact date of the festival changes every year. In the Western calendar this usually falls in the month of November.
A krathong is traditionally a small floating container fashioned of leaves which is made to hold a small portion of goods like a traditional Thai dish (such as hor mok) or dessert. The traditional krathong used for floating at the festival are made from a slice of a banana tree trunk or a spider lily plant. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or Styrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish. Banana stalk krathongs are also biodegradable, but Styrofoam krathongs are increasingly banned, as they pollute rivers and oceans. A krathong is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, three incense sticks, and a candle. A small coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. On the night of the full moon, Thais launch their krathong on a river, canal, or a pond, making a wish as they do so.
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