If you are planning to visit northern part of Thailand, November will be the best time to go. During this month the festival known as Yi Peng is celebrated. Each year, the whole of Thailand celebrates this festival but Chiang Mai holds the throne as the best place to witness it. It has the biggest celebration among all of entire Thailand.
Source: Takeaway
The Yi Peng was originally celebrated to end the rainy season and welcome the start of the cooler season. But more importantly it is celebrated to pay their respects to Buddha. Nowadays, it is a combination of religious cleansing and fun partying. The Yi Peng is celebrated together with Loy Krathong. So, visiting Chiang Mai towards the end of the year will give you one of the most beautiful sights you will ever witness in your lifetime.
There are special parades and different kinds of lanterns that you will see around Chiang Mai in this time of the year. The four main types that you will see are the sky-floating lantern (khom foi/khom loy), rabbit's ear lantern (khom gratai), revolving lantern (khom paad) and the hanging lantern (khom kwaen).
Since the Yi Peng and the Loy Krathong are celebrated simultaneously, there are two things you shouldn't miss during your visit. First, the release of the sky lanterns or khom fai in the sky. In the earlier days, only monks are allowed to release lanterns but today anyone can do it. You can even have and release a sky lantern of your own. The locals participate in the celebration because it is known to release some unpleasant memories of the past and welcome the future with a wish.
The ceremony begins by some Buddhist meditation and chanting. After which, everyone is encouraged to stand and take their places in the wide field and light their candles. The lanterns are then lighted up. As soon as all the lanterns are lighted and inflated, a signal is given to release the lanterns at the same time. The thousands of sky lanterns floating in the sky is simply breathtakingly beautiful. It almost seems like jellyfishes are swimming in the sea. To cap the beautiful view, fireworks explode like stars in the sky surrounding the lanterns. It's almost impossible to describe how wonderful the sight is.
On the other hand, the Loy Krathong is celebrated in the Mae Ping River. This is done in honor of the Goddess of the water, Phra Mae Khongka. The locals believe that participating in the celebration will bring good fortune in their lives. A procession of beautiful maidens sitting on decorative floats starts the celebration. Locals and tourists alike wait in the banks of the Mae Ping River to participate in the celebration.
You can see everyone holding their own decorated krathongs or banana leaf containers with candles. They also put lotus flowers and incense as part of the offering. As the krathongs are released in the full moon of the night, the thousands of lights from them are magnificent to look at. Truly, this is an experience that tourists can remember in their lifetime.
There are special parades and different kinds of lanterns that you will see around Chiang Mai in this time of the year. The four main types that you will see are the sky-floating lantern (khom foi/khom loy), rabbit's ear lantern (khom gratai), revolving lantern (khom paad) and the hanging lantern (khom kwaen).
Since the Yi Peng and the Loy Krathong are celebrated simultaneously, there are two things you shouldn't miss during your visit. First, the release of the sky lanterns or khom fai in the sky. In the earlier days, only monks are allowed to release lanterns but today anyone can do it. You can even have and release a sky lantern of your own. The locals participate in the celebration because it is known to release some unpleasant memories of the past and welcome the future with a wish.
The ceremony begins by some Buddhist meditation and chanting. After which, everyone is encouraged to stand and take their places in the wide field and light their candles. The lanterns are then lighted up. As soon as all the lanterns are lighted and inflated, a signal is given to release the lanterns at the same time. The thousands of sky lanterns floating in the sky is simply breathtakingly beautiful. It almost seems like jellyfishes are swimming in the sea. To cap the beautiful view, fireworks explode like stars in the sky surrounding the lanterns. It's almost impossible to describe how wonderful the sight is.
On the other hand, the Loy Krathong is celebrated in the Mae Ping River. This is done in honor of the Goddess of the water, Phra Mae Khongka. The locals believe that participating in the celebration will bring good fortune in their lives. A procession of beautiful maidens sitting on decorative floats starts the celebration. Locals and tourists alike wait in the banks of the Mae Ping River to participate in the celebration.
You can see everyone holding their own decorated krathongs or banana leaf containers with candles. They also put lotus flowers and incense as part of the offering. As the krathongs are released in the full moon of the night, the thousands of lights from them are magnificent to look at. Truly, this is an experience that tourists can remember in their lifetime.
To view more information about Chiang Mai, Thailand, visit http://bestflights.co.za/asia/thailand/chiang-mai
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