The twelfth full moon of the year in the traditional Thai lunar calendar appeared a week ago. It’s a night to seek blessings for the next year and ask that bad luck from the past year be carried away. All around the country, people head to a river or canal and float small lotus-shaped vessels (krathongs), bearing candles in homage to the goddess of the river.
Jip’s take on this holiday is to boycott. She doesn’t get the logic of adding junk to a river whose goddess you are trying to thank. (Krathongs sometimes also contain food, flowers, fingernail clippings, you name it.)
But I kind of like it. Those famous Thai smiles are out in force. Families and couples share krathongs as nice symbols of togetherness. One-night entrepreneurs spread their wares on mats or blankets, lighting them with lamps powered by car batteries. After grabbing supper at a crowded market, I took a boat home. Watching the candles along the river’s edge, I got the sense of a giant, nationwide picnic.
3 comments:
See any Turkey floating down that river, Doe?
Sounds alot like the turkey day tradition of the Loins playing the Bears. I like it when the Bears win.
is that you out there trying to push your float ahead of the competition John?
david in honolulu
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