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Published: November 11th 2010
Yee Peng Ceremony
Heart and Soul of the Thai People Loy Krathong
Seeing as this is my first blog ever, I guess an introduction is in order. My name is Daniel Adrian Carmona. I was born in Monterrey, Mexico (where I lived for nearly the first twelve years of my life); blessed with two cultures in my life. My father was born in the small town of Durango, Mexico while my mother was born in the southern state of Mississippi. I live to explore and the initiation into these two wonderful cultures set the stage for an unbridled and voracious appetite to experience the world... to innundate my life with the cultures of different people around the world. I have been blessed to not only have traveled extensively around the United States and Mexico, but also to places like Hungary, New Zealand, Cuba, and Costa Rica. One of the most powerful experiences however came in the wonderful geographically and culturally diverse Thailand, land of smiles.
Loy Krathong Day is one of the most popular festivals of Thailand celebrated annually on the on the full moon of Twelfth Lunar Month, a concept lost in the completely arbitrary Western calendar. The festival takes place when the sun begins
Buddha Moon
Free your heart! to shine again on this amazing country and the many rivers and tributaries are full of life giving water. These "Kome Loy" are released into the night sky by the thousands and provide the most beautiful spectacle as they mingle with the stars carrying the years sufferances away in a blissful light display. I believe that the ability to release and renew is one of the keys to the joyous hearts of the Thai people. Carl Jung often wrote about the importance of ceremony, which is so lacking in American culture. This ceremony should remind us of the heavy "baggage" we carry with us on a daily basis. It is also a reminder that we cannot simply ignore this baggage or pretend that it is not present in our lives. We must acknowledge its presence, pay due tribute, and emmancipate ourselves form its immense weight and renew our spirits as we move forward through the seasons. To me the importance of this ceremony is simple; Free your heart and be thankful.
These images were taken just north of Chiang Mai, very close to this time of year. In my many travels this is one experience that really carries forward
in my mind and of which I feel most blessed to have been a part. I would recommend this highly on the list of wonders to be a part of in your travels. If this does not bring a luminous smile to your face perhaps it is time to examine the things you carry in your life which interfere with pure joy and the knowledge that time is at the same time cyclical and constantly moving forward. If you feel stuck in a rut and need the power of ceremony to propel you forward as a person, move this to the top of your dream destinations. Northern Thailand is affordable, friendly, amazing, and powerful. Free your heart!
Also traditional in the festival are Krathongs; "Loy" means "to float" and a "Krathong" is a lotus-shaped vessel made of banana leaves. The Krathong usually contains a candle, a hair cutting from the individual, joss-sticks, some flowers and coins. Buddhist monks are often implored to bless these craft.
In fact, the festival is of Brahmin origin in which people offer thanks to the Goddess of the water. Under the full moon people light the candles and joss-sticks, make a wish and launch their Krathongs on canals, rivers or even small ponds. The ceremony in Thailand has been adapted to honor Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. It is believed that the Krathongs carry away sins and bad luck, and the wishes that have been made for the new year due to start. Indeed, it is the time to be joyful and happy as the sufferings are floated away.
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