buddhist monks

November 6 we celebrated Loy Krathong festival here on Koh Lanta. Loy Krathong is a festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand and parts of Burma and Laos. The name could be translated as “to float a basket”, and comes from the tradition of making krathong or buoyant, decorated baskets, which are then floated on a river. Loy Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the Western calendar this usually falls in November. The traditional krathong are made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree. On the night of the full moon, Thais launch their krathong on a river, canal or a pond, making a wish as they do so. The festival may originate from an ancient ritual paying respect to the water spirits. People sometime cut their fingernails or hair and place the clippings on the krathong as a symbol of letting go of past transgressions and negative thoughts. Many Thai people use the krathong to thank the Goddess of Water. In school the children and parents made beautiful Krathong´s from banana tree trunks, banana leafs, candles and lots and lots of flowers. In the afternoon we went to Old Town to watch the Loy Krathong parade and visit the market. After dark we put the krathongs on the water.

Lucas working on his krathong

Lucas’s class with their beautiful krathongs.

From the parade in Old Town

Food market in Old Town

From the market. You could buy different types of krathongs.

The krathongs in the water.

Lucas and his friends from school.

Today three buddhist monks came to Sanuk to bless the school and the school year. They chanted and blessed the kids and adults with holly water. Yesterday the children learned how to behave around buddhist monks. Cover shoulders and knees, hide the soles of your feet. Do not stand up tall so that you are taller than the monks , etc. Better than learning from a book.

The monks