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| Fall 2007 Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2007
NOVEMBER For Americans -- The month of Thanksgiving For Thais -- The month of Loi Krathong. |
THANKSGIVING DAY
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Turkey by Milan, Age 5.
Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks, traditionally to God, for the things one has at the end of the harvest season. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This year 2007, Thanksgiving is Thursday November 22nd. Certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. First and foremost, turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these primary dishes are actually native to the Americas or were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived. LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL
Sunday, November 24, 2007
Loi Krathong (or Loy Kratong, Thai ลอยกระทง) is a festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand on the full moon night of the 12th lunar month, which usually falls on some day in November. This year, Loi Krathong Day is November 24, 2007. "Loi" means "to float". "Krathong" is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions often use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc. The floating of a Krathong – a banana-leaf cup – is to float away ill fortune, to create good luck, and to express apologies to the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha.
The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as "Noppamas Queen Contests". According to legend, Noppamas was a consort of the Sukhothai King Loethai (14th century) and she was the first person to float a decorated krathong.  The song that plays throughout Loi Krathong Day is "Ramwong Wan Loi Krathong". Watch a video of Loi Krathong song (Thai version).... Ramwong Wan Loi Krathong | วันเพ็ญเดือนสิบสอง
น้ำก็นองเต็มตลิ่ง
เราทั้งหลายชายหญิง
สนุกกันจริงวันลอยกระทง
ลอย...ลอย...กระทง...ลอย...ลอย...กระทง
ลอยกระทงกันแล้ว
ขอเชิญน้องแก้วออกมารำวง
รำวงวันลอยกระทง
รำวงวันลอยกระทง
บุญจะส่งให้เราสุขใจ
บุญจะส่งให้เราสุขใจ | Wan-Pen-Duean-Sip-Song Nom-Ko-Nong-Tem-Taling Rao-Tong-Lai-Chai-Ying Sanook-Gun-Jing-Wan-Loi-Kra-Tong! Loi-Loi-Kra-Tong... Loi-Loi-Kra-Tong Loi-Kra-Tong-Gun-Laeo Kho-Choen-Nong-Gaew-Ok-Ma-Ramwong Ramwong-Wan-Loi-Kra-Tong Ramwong-Wan-Loi-Kra-Tong Boon-Ja-Song-Hai-Rao-Sook-Jai Boon-Ja-Song-Hai-Rao-Sook-Jai | Translation
On the full moon day of the 12th lunar month,
Water overflows the banks.
All of us, both boys and girls,
Will have fun together on Loi Krathong Day!
Loi, Loi Krathong...Loi, Loi Krathong,
After we’ve floated our krathongs,
We’ll ask the ladies to come out and dance the ramwong,
Dance the ramwong on Loi Krathong Day,
Dance the ramwong on Loi Krathong Day,
Making merit will bring us happiness,
Making merit will bring us happiness.
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Watch a video of Loi Krathong song (English version)....
| Loi Krathong Lyrics | November full moon shines,
Loi Krathong, Loi Krathong,
and the water's high
in the river and local klong,
Loi Loi Krathong,
Loi Loi Krathong,
Loi Krathong is here and everybody's full of cheer,
We're together at the klong,
Each one with his krathong,
As we push away we pray,
We can see a better day. |
H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej & Mount Auburn Hospital In Honor of the 80th Birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, Rama IX of Thailand December 5, 2007 
Welcome you to this special edition. H.M. the King was born on December 5, 1927 at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is the only monarch to have been born in the United States. H.M. is well recognized as the heart and soul of the Thai nation. H.M. is held in the high esteem not only by his own subjects, but H.M. also commands enormous respect from people in all parts of the world. The manner in which H.M. conducts himself, giving his whole heart and attention to the people, has linked the living symbol of the nation to the people in a bond of mutual understanding and personal affection.
Led by Phra Promwachirayan (Board of the Council of Thai Bhikkhus, Abbot of the Royal Temple Wat Yannawa, and President of Construction Project of Wat Nawamintararachutis), Wat Nawamintararachutis – the NMR Buddhist Meditation Center was established in 2002 in honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, Rama IX of Thailand to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his coronation on June 9, 2006 and his 80th birthday on December 5, 2007. LONG LIVE THE KING !
Welcome you to Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA -- The Birth Place of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, Rama IX of Thailand  CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, USA  Phone: 617-492-3500 Mount Auburn Hospital was founded in 1886 as the first hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is a Teaching Hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Photos of His Majesty King & Her Majesty Queen are displayed at The Birth Place, 5th Floor, Mount Auburn Hospital. His Majesty King was born on December 5, 1927, 8:45 A.M. (Boston, USA). HRH Prince Mahidol of Songkla, Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani, HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, King Ananda Mahidol, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej. On July 7, 1960, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej visited Dr. W. Stewart Whittemore at Mount Auburn Hospital. "To my first friend, Doctor Whittmore, with Affectionate regard." Gifts were presented to four nurses who cared for H.M. King Bhumibol at birth: 1. Mrs. Leslie Layton 2. Mrs. Jennifer Welton 3. Mrs. Margaret Fay 4. Mrs. Ruth Arlington King Bhumibol Square, Boston, Massachusetts From June 9, 1946 - June 9, 2006, the 60th anniversary of H.M. King Bhumibol's coronation. H.M. King Bhumibol's 80th birthday on December 5, 2007.
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