December 5: On the King's birthday a parade of the colors is performed in Bangkok by Thailand's elite Royal Guards.

December 31-January 2: New Year celebrations are usually at their best around the temples. In Bangkok, special ceremonies at Pramanae Ground include Thai dances.

February: Magha Puja commemorates the day when 1,250 disciples spontaneously heard Lord Buddha preach the cardinal doctrine on the full moon of the third lunar month.

February-April: Kite-flying contests are held at the Pramanae Ground in which barbs on the kite strings are used to destroy opponents' kites.

April 6: Chakri Day commemorates the enthronement of King Rama I, founder of the present dynasty, in 1782.

Mid-April: Songkran marks the Thai New Year and is an occasion for setting caged birds and fish free, visiting family, dancing, and water-throwing, in which everyone splashes everyone else in good-natured merriment.

May: Plowing Ceremony: At the Pramanae Ground, Thailand's king and queen take part in a traditional ritual that opens the rice-planting season.

May 5: Coronation Day: The king and queen take part in a procession to the Royal Chapel to preside over ceremonies commemorating their coronation.

May: Visakha Puja: On the full moon of the sixth lunar month, the nation celebrates the holiest of Buddhist days-commemorating Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. Monks lead the laity in candlelit processions around their temples.

August 12: Queen Sirikit's birthday is celebrated with religious ceremonies at Chitlada Palace, and the city is adorned with lights galore.

November: Held on the full moon of the 12th lunar month, Loi Krathong is the loveliest of Thai festivals. After sunset, people throughout Thailand make their way to a body of water and launch small lotus-shaped banana-leaf floats bearing lighted candles. The aim is to honor the water spirits and wash away one's sins of the past year.