Loy Krathong 2010
Yesterday was Loy Krathong day here in Thailand – an annual festival to express gratitude for the nation’s water, to apologize for polluting it, to ask for forgiveness of past sins, and to make wishes for a good future. (It’s also the occasion for lots of singing, dancing, fireworks, and beauty pageants.) The main event is the floating of the khratongs – small floats decorated with flowers, candles, and incense.
Last evening the kids and I (Candice was meeting a friend from the States) walked down to our local park to take in the festivities. They enjoyed riding some rides and watching some of the performances. Silas especially liked all of the candles. There were also kids setting off very loud firecrackers and shooting off bottle rockets. I felt fortunate to escape unharmed!
Here are some pictures, but be warned that I have not yet mastered the feat of taking good photographs of candle-lit objects floating on the water at night.
A turtle comes to check out the krathong. They were also selling the eco-friendly bread krathongs which were immediately attacked by swarms of fish and turtles.
-Tom