Coconut is Life - Colormoon Festival on Koh Phangan

This year’s Colormoon Festival will take place from Sunday April 23rd to Thursday April 27th near Thong Sala Pier.

The festival is a celebration of all things Koh Phangan with an emphasis and celebration this year of the humble Coconut!

Phanganist spoke to organiser Pi Ning and got the story of the slogan ‘Coconut is Life’...

“Around 50 or 60 years ago everyone had their very own coconut tree. The tradition in how you get this comes from before you are born.

When your Mother is pregnant your Father would prepare the tree, a young coconut tree with 5 or 6 leaves and also prepare the hole.

When you are born they would cut the umbilical cord and place it in a jar with some salt and then place this in the hole. Another 7 or so days later they would place the coconut tree in the hole and cover with soil.

As you grow the coconut tree grows as well, if you are ever sad or had health problems then you would take a coconut from your tree and drink from it or wash your face from it for good luck or health. This was before the time of hospitals so unfortunately this tradition has long gone…”

The Colormoon Festival is on its 3rd year and is already an island tradition. It has previously been held in December but because of the floods and the death of Rama IV it is instead happening in April this year.

The festival gathers people to participate in and gather traditions. It is organised by the Hotel Association and brings people from outside of Koh Phangan to get to know the island.

The schedule is as follows;

23rd April
Blessing by Monks in the Morning.
Minister of Tourism Grand Opening
Singing Contest (Luk Thung Music)
Singing Performance by Award winning male singer from Haad Rin
Sports; volleyball, Bird singing contest & games from the coconut
Fashion Show (made from coconuts)
Food demonstration

24th April
Old Coconut Competition (for over 35’s)
Young Coconut Competition (from 2 years to 12 years old)
Volleyball, Takraw, coconut picking contest, Petanque & more demonstration from the island.

25th April
Miss Maprow
Volleyball, Takraw, coconut peeling contest
Fishing competition starting at 9am

26th April
Miss International
Football competition
Fishing competition return by 4pm (weigh all fish and for sale)

27th April
Full Moon Party Team
Finals of football
Closing Ceremony

The festival will run from 12 Midday to 12 Midnight each day and there will also be 9 Temples and their volunteers doing cooking for visitors.

There is also a cyclist area where you can get a free service and any donations made will go to the local hospitals.

All visitors have the chance to take part in a competition where they get a sticker in each area of the festival then go into a prize draw!

The exhibition in the Navy Ship is showing old photos of Koh Phangan along with artists and children’s painting workshops.