Origin of Loy Krathong

Origin of Loy Krathong

The origin of Loy Krathong involves at least 7 legends. Most of them stem from Buddhism. The most popular ones are to show respect to the footprint of the Lord Buddha on the sandy beach of the Narmaha River in India, as well as to the great Serpent and dwellers of the underwater world, after the Lord Buddha’s visit to their watery realm. Others believe that the floral krathong is offered to the pagoda (Phra Ged Kaew Ju La Mane) containing the Lord Buddha’s topknot, which was cut off at his self-ordination and is now in heaven.
Another explanation is that it is a way to pay respect to one’s ancestors. It is also possible that this is derived from a Hindu festival that pays tribute to the god Vishnu, who meditates at the center of the ocean. Therefore the origin of the festival remains still obscure and is varied by region.
The former Lanna kingdom and the former kingdom of Siam have different purpose in celebrating Loy Krathong. The Central part of Thailand celebration is derrived from a royal Brahmin rite. They only changed it to Buddhism during the reign of King Mongut. On the other hand, Lanna already has had its own Yee Peng celebration. In Northern Thailand it has been always about Buddha’s stories, especially as it is the time for the Lanna people to listen to the Vessantara Jataka sermon.