Loi Krathong

As I'm writing this I can hear fire crackers and explosions in the night as the village celebrates Loi Krathong Festival.
The festival takes place on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month, which usually coincides with November in our calendar. Loi means to float and a krathong is the buoyant decorated basket.
Participants ask water spirits to sail away their troubles in their krathongs, which are containers traditionally made from sliced trunk of a banana tree  and carrying offerings of incense, lotus flowers and a small coin.
It was a full on afternoon here.  Students made Krathongs in the afternoon using slices of banana  trunks for the base and then decorating them with intricately folded banana leaves, orchid flowers and incense.
This was followed by cultural performances of costumes, traditional dancing and drumming and a beauty contest (yes! its traditional) in the auditorium.  There was a BBQ for dinner then the Krathongs were launched on the creek, followed by launching of lanterns.