Loy-kratong Is More Than Just A Fun Festival
Author: Liberal HomoDeus
Date: 15th October 2020
Keywords: #kratong, #fun, #festival, #water, #apology
Length: 1061 words
Loy-kratong is a kind of water festival as it is related to waterway but no water-throwing activity like Songkran. Thailand has festivals almost every other week, and the country loves celebrating. Whether it is a new year or a new moon, Thai people will always find a reason to dance, sing, share delicious food, and get together in order to party.
The history behind Loy-kartong festival is complex, and Thais celebrate it for many reasons. Story said that Loy-kratong has been an annual tradition in Thailand since the time of King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai, the very first capital of Thailand, a court lady named Nang Nophamas, also known as Tao Sri Chulalak, introduced ‘Kratongcherm’ on the festival night.
In the past, Kratongs were made from natural materials, usually a section from a banana tree trunk, crafted into a lotus shape by using folded banana leaves, and this type of Krantong can still be found for sale around the main festival sites today. More recently, Thais have become more creative in their craft and design the Kratongs from coconut shells, flowers, baked bread, potato slices, some breaking with the conventional lotus leaf shape in favour of turtles and other sea creatures including a small boat, vessel, receptacle or container.
Due to the environmental reason, the government encourages people to purchase or make Kratongs made from bread or other decomposable natural materials instead of non-biodegradable Styrofoam floats because natural materials easily dissolve in water and provide food for fish and other water creatures. The Kratongs usually go with candles and incense sticks. Despite this festival being age-old, the Krathong thing with creative thoughts is relatively new.
People float or ‘loy’ the Kratong for many reasons. Thai Buddhists in Thailand think it is the time to honor the Lord Buddha. The candle venerates the Buddha with light, while the Krathong’s floating away symbolizes letting go of all one’s hatred, anger, and defilements.
Some Thai people say they offer flowers, candles and incense sticks as a tribute to the footprint of the Lord Buddha on the beach of the Nammatha River in India.
Others believe that this is the time to symbolically ‘float away’ all the anger and grudges they have been holding onto, and the including of a fingernail or a lock of hair into the Kratong is seen as a way of letting go of a dark side of themselves, to start anew free of negative feelings. It is also considered a symbol of letting go of past transgressions, negative thoughts and wash away their misfortunes and sins for happiness to return to them as their Krathongs float away. Overall people see that thousands of lights float on lakes, ponds and seas carrying their wishes and prayers away.
Another story is by Loy-krathong, Thai people see that as the main rice harvest season ends, it is time to give appreciation to the ‘Phra Mae Kong Ka’ or Mother of Water for a year’s worth of her abundant supply as well as an apology for polluting the waters. Well, an expression of appreciation to the Mother of Water for her generous supply is understandable but it does seem a little weird to ask for forgiveness for polluting water by further polluting the water.
Yet, asking for forgiveness is not a bad thing. Generally, when people truly apologize to someone for something they regret, any hurt the person felt may be completely dissipated by their apology. Even if they are apologizing for only part of a situation, if their regret is genuine, the other person will feel some release.
In some cases, if people can offer apology for any hurt that they have caused before it becomes a knot in their partner, family member, colleague, or friend, it is a way to refresh their relationship, because when people offer genuine apology, and explain things with curiosity, the other person is willing to forgive and there is chance to start anew.
In relationship, normally, anger does not come up unexpectedly or all at once. Usually, people accumulate a lot of little hurts or annoyances. Perhaps something is bothering the other person that they are not aware of. When annoyance develops into anger, they stuff that anger down, they build a wall inside them. Some people keep their angers until they become so big they explode. Before reaching that point, if people can offer sincere apology on their own initiative, before the other person has even let them know that he or she is hurt, it is a tool for helping dismantle the wall inside, brick by brick. And when there are perhaps just one or two bricks in the way, a wall will never be built. Thus, apology is not a bad thing, it works wonder, anyhow.
On contrary, insincere apology won’t work and people who offer such apology will never be forgiven thus people who ask the Mother of Water for forgiveness for polluting water by further polluting the water will never be forgiven by Her as it is considered an insincere apology so it cannot be a tool for beginning anew and perhaps this is the reason that the water in many canals, rivers, lakes, etc., remain in poor quality, toxic and inedible.
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