Loy Kratong at Mercy Kindergarten

Loy Kratong is a full-moon Buddhist holiday, dating back to ancient times when we paid respects to the spirits of the river. Of course, to our kindergarten children, everything is new and exciting, even the most ancient traditions. Last week, on the morning of Loy Kratong Day, the children at our Lock 6 Kindergarten here in Mercy Centre dressed in traditional Thai attire and floated Kratongs (small vessels made of banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense) on the pond by their playground. They say that as Loy Kratong celebrants send their Kratongs down a body of water, their sins and misgivings of the past year float away. Our kindergarten kids, who are innocent and know little about sins or misgivings, love the celebration simply because it is a celebration of life. All photos by Anna Lashley.