| Songkran Festival in mid April | | | | Thailand in November. Loy Krathong celebrates |
| In Thailand, as also in the Dai People communities | | | | the end of the rainy season which is also the full |
| of Southern China [ where the Tai originated from | | | | moon of the 12 th month of the Thai Lunar |
| ], the Tai Lao in Laos,and the Buddhist | | | | Calendar. Loy or Loi means to float and Krathong |
| communities in Cambodia and Myanmar, the | | | | or Kratong means a raft the sive of ones open |
| Calender New Year is occassioned between 13 | | | | hand. The point of the festival is to prepare and |
| and 15 April each year. The Thai use a lunisolar | | | | then float at full moon down a stream, river or |
| calendar [ both the Sun rotation and the moon | | | | other water water, an elaborately prepared |
| phase rotation ] and the date was fixed on a | | | | offering on the raft to be released and float |
| solar calculation. The word '' Songkran '' is derived | | | | away by water to release with it as a symbolic |
| from the Indian sancript word '' Sankanta '' which | | | | gester, ones bad feelings, anger, stress and |
| means '' a change or move ''. The dates are now | | | | grievances. |
| fixed arbitarily but originally would move with the | | | | The festival has its beginnings in the Indianisation |
| move of the sun on the vernal equinox. This | | | | process of South East Asia and an original |
| occured as a consequence of '' precession '' and | | | | Brahmanical festival from Northern India. Many |
| the tilt of the earth and the effect of its orbit. | | | | Thais also accept natural forces as spirits or '' |
| Over the past the dates have changed but are | | | | gods '' and the floating of the Krathong is |
| now fixed irrespective of the original rationale and | | | | symbolic gesture to the Goddess of water, Phra |
| what would otherwise be the astrological | | | | Mae Khongkha. The Thais proclaim the festival |
| calculation. From a natural perspective the dates | | | | originated in Thailand at Sukhothai at the time of |
| also signal the end of the dry season. | | | | the Sukhothai Kingdom, but here then also Indian |
| Loy Krathong Festival | | | | and Brahmanical influences with powerful. |
| Loy Krathong Festival is celebrated in all of | | | | |