"“Wan pen duan sip song num nong tem taling rao tung lai
chai – ying sanook kun jing wan loy kra tong loy loy kratong
loykratong kun laew kor churn nong kaew ma len rumvong
rumvong wan loy kratong rumvong wan loy kratong
boon ja song hai rao suk jai boon ja song hai rao suk jai"

Krathong-floating traditional festival at Tak province

          Thais’ Krathong-floating traditional festival is a traditional event which has been practiced from the ancient time up to the present time. It is believed that worshipping and asking forgiveness to the rivers, and the people also believe that washing sin from both body and mind, especially worshipping to the Gods in Hinduism and to the Buddha’s foot-step. So, floated-Krathong is very famous organized at night of the full-moon day of twelfth lunar month annually, because during this time the rivers, ponds, and streams are plenty of water and the climate change is also pretty good. According to the royal writing, ceremony twelve months and the legend of Thao-sri-chulalak mentioned to Nang-noppha-mard or Thao-srichulalak whom was the king’s first concubine in the Sukhothai period time and this traditional, Loy-krathong, was happened in this period. Krathong are made of timber of small banana tree and decorated it by putting flowers, incenses and candles. Loy means that ‘floating’ when we gather two terms together, we get ‘Loy-krathong’ which is equal to Krathong-floating that has been being practicing since former time. Besides at the first script stone pillar also mentioned to burning-candle, playing fire-lamp that it was the biggest festival of Kroung Sukhothai, most people predicted the same that this event might be exactly Krathong floating festival.

          Kratong floating festival, it is the old ancient traditional festival of Thai people, but it did not appear clearly evidence when it started. As the evidence found that  it had begun in Sukhothai time and at the same with His majesty of the king Phra Chunlachomkrao had assumed that ,originally it was a ceremony of Brahmin which they worshipped their three Gods namely:- Phra Esuan, Phra Nalai and Phra Phrom. Later on, it was practiced by the Buddhism’s way, there are leaving the lanterns in order to worship Phra Chunlamanee’s relics at Tavadeung layer and fire-lamp floating in order for worshipping the Buddha’s foot-step which placed at the Beach of Nammatha River. In the Sukhaothai period, Nang-noppha-mard whom was the concubine of Phra Ruang originally thought making Krathong like lotus flower and other pictures graciously floated along the rivers.

          The king Phra Ruang was so glad to the lotus Krathong of Nang-noppha-mard, so he graciously regarded as an example and practiced until Krungsriayuthaya and krungrattanakosin periods. As a result, lotus krathong has been seen up to now, but its name is changed to be Krathong floating of the candle’s light. The king Rama IV later, the ceremonies were cut out that was so waste, and the king Rama V and VI later had reformed the ceremonies again. Today floating the light of candle of His majesty of the king has practiced and general people also do.

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