ประเพณีสะท้อนวิถีไทย
Reflection of Thai Way of life, Postage Stamps
ลอยกระทงสาย (จังหวัดตาก)
Loi Krathong Sai (Tak Province)
Tak Province organizes Loi Krathong Sai Festival on the full moon of the 12th lunar month of each year. Latex of Yang trees is mixed with wood chips, formed into small balls and placed at the bottom of halved coconut shells. Ont eh nights of the festival the latex balls are lighted and floated in the Ping River at regular intervals, forming long rows of the flickering lights above the water. These coconut shells (krathong) will eventually flow out of the audiences' sight. It is believed that participants and spectators of this festival will be blessed with what they wished for during the festival.
ยี่เป็ง (จังหวัดเชียงใหม่)
Yi-Peng Festival (Chiang Mai Province)
This stamp depicts the 12th Lunar Month Full Moon Festival of Lanna thai (the northern region) which is known as Yi-Peng. On the day of Yi-Peng, people decorated Buddhist temples and their houses with banana trees, sugar cane, coconut fronds, Tung flowers, and Chor Prateep. Various styles of paper lamps called Khom Yi-Peng are hoisted high as offerings to the Lord Buddha. Small bowl lamps are hoisted high as offerings to the Three Gems of Buddhism while floating paer lamps are lighted and released into the sky as offerings to Phra Ketkaew Chulamanee in heaven.
ไหลเรือไฟ (จังหวัดนครพนม)
The Festival of illuminated Boat Procession (Nakhon Phanom Province)
The Festival of illuminated Boat procession or locally known as Lai Rua Fai is an important festival held by the northasterners to celebrate the end of Buddhist lent on the 15th vexing moon night or the 1st waning moon night of the 11th lunar month of each yeear. "Rua Fai" is a boat made from banana trunks or bamboos of 5-6 wah tied together. Swets and any itms people want to donate are placed in the boat. the boat exterior is decorated with flowers, incense sticks, candles, lamps and torches to be lighted before the boat is released into a canal or river. This is the origin of the name "Lai Rua Fai".
เผาเทียนเล่นไฟ (จังหวัดสุโขทัย)
Loy Krathong and Candle Festival (Sukhothai Province)
This festival has been held as far back as Sukhothai period. Inthe reign of King Ramkhamhaeng, it was known as "Jong parien ceremony" or Loi Phra Prateep". There was a mention in the Stone inscription No. 1 that this was the largest festival in Sukhothai city, which led to a belief that this must be the same festival as Loi Krathong.
Date of Issue : November 10, 2011
Credit : Thai Stamp Bulletin Vol.2011 issue 4 (Oct - Dec, 2011)
