Loi Krathong (pronounced loy cra-tone) is a festival that takes place in Thailand for a few days around November. The dates of it change based on the lunar calendar, which is a different way of recording time. I was very lucky to be in Chiang Mai during Loi Krathong 2019. People travel to Chiang Mai from all over the world just for Loi Krathong, and now, I understand why. It was amazing! During the festival, there are lots of parades, music, dancing and unique to Loi Kratong, lanterns! In this field note, I'll tell you all about it.
I learned about the tradition of Loi Krathong, a Thai festival or holiday. For Loi Krathong, one of the main things people do is release lanterns. There are two types of lanterns, river lanterns and sky lanterns. River lanterns are most commonly made from banana plants and flowers. People put incense and candles on river lanterns, and then, they set them floating down a river. It is a tradition for groups of family or friends to make river lanterns together. Sky lanterns are lanterns that go into the sky like little hot-air balloons. Many people light them off at once, so they light up the night sky. Most lanterns are made of biodegradable materials, which means they break down soon and so are not a source of litter forever.
