Loi Krathong Festival
Loi Krathong, giving thanks to the water goddess was on November 8th. After making our small rafts, made from a the trunk of a banana tree, banana leaves, and other flowers we found in the area. We went to the nearby temple, situated along a canal and, along with thousands of other people, sent our offering downstream. It's quite a pretty sight, though maybe not the most environmentally conscious, or best way to "give thanks" or apologize, to the water goddess (but I imagine that many traditions are similarly troubling when the real point is to gather with friends, family, and loved ones, take a break, and enjoy the moment). In recent years, salespeople, and individuals, make their "krathong" (boats) from breads, or other more environmentally conscious materials, that either break down in the river, or are eaten by the fish. There is a lot more to the tradition , celebrated throughout southeast Asia, with variations in each locale, but sometimes those details g...