Next: about 25 Nov 2026
Loy Krathong
The full-moon night when small floats of leaves, flowers and candles carry away bad luck on the river.
About Loy Krathong
On the full-moon night of the twelfth lunar month, Thais float small baskets (krathong) of banana leaf, flowers, incense and a candle on rivers, canals and ponds. The usual explanation is that the floats honour the river goddess Phra Mae Khongkha and ask her pardon for the pollution of the waters, while the floating also carries away the maker's anger and misfortune. Some people place a clipping of hair or a fingernail in the krathong as a symbol of what they hope to send downstream. In northern Thailand the same night is Yi Peng, when paper lanterns are released into the sky. Many towns now use biodegradable floats and discourage foam ones, in line with the festival's own concern for the waters.
Entries tied to it
Also part of it, and being written: Loy Krathong (The festival and the floating baskets.).
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Loy Krathong" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family, and are described as belief and practice. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Yi Peng: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sky lantern: Richy, CC BY-SA 3.0, source