Aside from lanterns, another Loi Krathong tradition is to have a parade. In the parade, people dance on very detailed floats. It reminded me of a 4th of July parade but fancier! There are a few songs for Loi Krathong that are typically played over and over again. After the parade, people go into the streets to walk around and celebrate even more. One of the Loi Krathong songs is translated into English. My favorite line goes "Loi Krathong is here! Everyone is full of cheer!"
A lot of Thai culture is influenced by the religions of Buddhism and Hinduism. In these religions, followers believe that many aspects of nature have spirits, gods or goddesses. In order to have good relations with these spirits, people need to show them kindness and respect. For example, with the Goddess of Water, which is who Loi Krathong celebrates, they thank the river and water to avoid things like droughts in the future. Over the many years that Loi Krathong has been around, the festival has changed. For example, people didn't use to put lanterns in the sky, but now they do!
Loi Krathong exists because people want to celebrate and give thanks to the Goddess of Water. Water is very, very important in every day life in Thailand. With water, people are able to drink, grow food, travel by boat and much more. This is why Loi Krathong is centered around rivers.
Some people think that Loi Krathong is bad because it adds litter to the environment.
