Thailand's Breathtaking Lantern Festival [Incredible Photos]
Rivers of people pour into the streets to take part in one of the most important, beautiful, and evocative events in Asian countries.
The origins of the Lantern Festival - called Loi Krathong - are ancient, dating back to the time when ceremonies were practiced in reverence to the Buddha, called "The Enlightened One" in Asia. The Asian lands are full of spirituality.
Discover The Lantern Festival In Thailand
Loi Krathong takes place on the full moon nights of the twelfth month of the Tai lunar calendar (November) in Buddhist countries - Thailand, Laos, Burma, and Cambodia.
Literally "Loi" means "floating" while "Krathong" refers to compositions of various shapes made of lotus petals or banana leaves floating on water.
Apart from flowers, a Krathong also contains food, candles, incense, and coins. On the street, you can also find rafts (Krathong) made of bread.
Whether they are made from bread or banana leaves - they are biodegradable.
Their dissolution time is very different. In the case of those made of bread, after only a few days they will be eaten by fish, while banana leaves take several years to disappear.
Cylindrical lanterns, which have appeared in recent years in our country, are balloons filled with hot air, lit, and launched into the night sky, initially as an offering to Buddha.
The Sacred Connection Between Humans And The Divine
During the ceremonies, silence reigns on the riverside where hundreds upon hundreds of people gather.
Tradition requires that the lights be thrown into the sky or onto the water, and with this gesture the person expresses a wish - originally it regarded Gods, Buddha, and our spiritual evolution out of this world that the ancients saw as full of danger, evil, lies, and illusions.
Thailand's Breathtaking Lantern Festival - Loi Krathong - originated in Sukhothai, Thailand's first capital, but there is still open debate about the city of its birth, with some wanting the holiday to belong to Bangkok.
The festival was originally adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honor one of the Buddhas that at one time graced the Earth - Siddhartha Gautama.
It also became a Buddhist celebration and the act of lighting candles, as well as lighting up the city.
Along the same lines, on this day, people go to temples and try three things: do no harm, do good, and keep as serene a mind and soul as possible.
If you have the opportunity, you should participate in Thailand's breathtaking Lantern Festival. It will be a special magical moment that you will treasure for a lifetime!