Outdoor School Bangkok: The Loy Krathong Festival 2023

Throughout the years, the Outdoor School Bangkok has celebrated many festivals in different cultures as a cultural appreciation. The Loy Krathong festival, deeply rooted in Thai culture, is also one of the important celebrations with the richness of cultural experiences. It is held on the full moon every November as a ceremony to show appreciation and pay respect to the goddess of water.

 

However, in recent days, Bangkok and other places in Thailand face significant waste management after the festivities as the Krathongs set afloat and resulted in environmental pollution. Even if it was made from things like banana leaves, flowers, or something chemical-free, it can still rot and pollute the water as it takes months to decompose.

 

The Outdoor School Bangkok foresees this problem, and with our commitment to sustainability, we approached a way to still be able to showcase Thailand’s rich traditions throughout the years. Our mission is to prioritize the preservation of the environment, all while our community can still acknowledge the cultural traditions.

 

Our students crafted their own Krathongs with natural materials, ensuring that the core of the Krathong is eco-friendly. This also aligns with our core values as we believe that nature is important to children’s development in all aspects, and it helps stimulate creativity and imagination as they can use them to decorate in many ways.

To close off the event, we had our students gathered around the little fish pond in our school to make a wish and release their Krathongs. This is a way to avoid creating an excessive number of Krathongs as it is in a limited space that we can control and not in open water sources which would potentially affect the environment. The plan for a Krathong collection and disposal method was also set beforehand.

 

Our celebration was adjusted to fit in the current context to help ensure the beauty of nature can be preserved for future enjoyment. It was overall another successful educational experience that holds cultural significance. In the end, Krathong crafts are more than just artistic creations, they helped foster a sense of unity in our community by bringing everyone together and showing that we are all connected no matter who we are.

By valuing the balance between cultural heritage and environmental responsibility, The Outdoor School Bangkok believes we set an example for communities nationwide. The school looks forward to continuing to bring awareness for many years to come.

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