Festivals!

Last week Chiang Mai celebrated not one, but two festivals at once. Loi Krathong is known as the festival of floating baskets and Yi Peng is the festival of lanterns. Both begin a few days before the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. The evening of the full moon is the climax of the celebrations and the city puts on a terrific show.

Yi Peng is a Lanna festival and in the days leading up to the day of the full moon, the city sets up lantern displays along the streets and in public spaces. The festival is a time for Buddhists to make merit, so the wats put on a big show, decorating and fund raising. Colorful lanterns are hung along streets, and across doorways. Large lantern structures are set up around the city’s gates and monuments. On the evening of the full moon, people purchase what looks like a large lampshade with a candle at the base. Some write prayers or wishes on the lantern. The candle is lit—the lantern is filled with hot air and off it goes into the air. Thousands of lanterns dot the sky throughout the evening.

Loi Krathong is celebrated throughout Southeast Asia in similar fashion. At the close of the rice harvest it is time to pay one’s respects to the Goddess of Water, to show gratitude, and to ask forgiveness. It’s also a time to leave bad thoughts and misfortunes behind and to ask for good luck in the future. Baskets made of banana leaf, flowers (marigolds in particular), 3 incense sticks, a coin, some bread and a candle are set out to float down the Ping river.

Wat Lok Mali

Square at the Chang Puak Gate, on the north side of the moat.

Several hundred dancers performed at the Three Kings Monument in the center of the old city.

Where’s Waldo?

…the parade along the Ping River

Thousands of lanterns light up the sky. The Thai cancel airline flights for the evening.