Thanksgiving is by far one of my favorite holidays. It’s the time of year when families come together to enjoy each other’s company, and unite under the banner of gorging themselves until their pants don’t fit. What’s not to love about that? As I continue to get ready to head to Thailand, I wanted to see what kind of holidays and festivals they celebrate there. It turns out there’s always a festival or holiday happen somewhere in Thailand, you just have to know where to look. I want to go ahead and highlight a few I thought you might enjoy.
Loi Krathong is celebrated on the night of the first full moon in November. “Leaf cups” , which are often made from banana leaves, are decorated to be bright and vibrant. These leaf cups, which are made to carry incense, candles, food, or small coins, are floated down rivers, originally to please the river spirits, but now is celebrated for fun.
Another festival, Yi Peng, which coincides with Loi Krathong, is celebrated in a way more well known to most people. They release floating paper lanterns into the sky, which once released, look like a sea of giant glowing jellyfish, gracefully floating through the sky.
At the end of their rice season, they celebrate by racing their “beasts of burden”. In the case of Thailand, they race water buffalo. A joking announcer excitedly narrates the races, and picks fun at the ones who are thrown off by their buffalo. The prizes aren’t much in the long run, but it’s done for their enjoyment.
Well, hopefully you enjoyed a small taste of Thailand, and have some new ideas of ways to celebrate at home. This is the start to a series about Thailand, and what I’ll be experiencing when I get over there. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything!
