Loy Krathong literally means "to float a decorated basket". Loy Krathong is an annual celebration in Thailand which falls every full moon of November. The celebration takes place on the night of the full moon where people are going to make Krathongs usually out of banana stem and decorate it with orchids and scented sticks and float it on any body of water. Loy Krathong Festival is celebrated in honor of the goddess of water. Floating Krathongs in the water is an apologizing act of the bad things done to any bodies of water over the year. The act of floating Krathongs in the rivers also symbolizes the letting go of any grudges, guilt and anger from ones self. Some Thai people believe that cutting their hairs and nails and sail it away in the Krathong could help them get away from the bad things within them. And so floating a Krathong would bring good luck to the coming year.
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Lighting a floating lantern in the air is also done during Loy Krathong Festival. Its symbol is very similar to floating a Krathong in the rivers.
Tomorrow is the National Loy Krathong Day Festival in Thailand. But several institutions have their own schedule for the celebration. Some celebrates it on the friday night, others on the weekends.
