How to Make a Krathong

The krathong is a batch of flowers and incense that is released during the Thai Loy Krathong festival, held every November under the full moon. Thousands upon thousands of these creations are sent down the river each year so as to dispense of bad luck. As it turns out, they are exquisitely easy to make, for people of all ages.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A circular section of a banana tree
• Banana leaves
• Assorted flowers
• Incense

1. Fold the banana leaves, and pin them to the circumference of the banana tree section.
2. Add the assorted flowers on top of the banana tree section.
3. Stick a few sticks of incense into the center of the pile of flowers.
4. By tradition, give thanks to the water, and apologize for using it.
5. Release your krathong into the river, to float your bad luck away.

Tips & Warnings

• Some individuals now use styrofoam or plastic as the base for their krathong, instead of a banana tree section. This is highly discouraged, as these materials released into the river can wreck havoc on the environment.