Whilst many people in the United Kingdom may not know much about sky lanterns, they are widely used at festivities around the world. They hold a great deal of significance for people in Asia and, when launched, are said to bring good fortune and prosperity. Consequently, they are used a great deal at weddings in many of the Asian countries.

 

Whilst they may sound like something quite new, sky lanterns date back hundreds of years to times when Chinese troops would use them to signal to each another. They proved very useful for this purpose as they could be launched into the sky but did not remain there indefinitely, falling back to the ground after just a few minutes in the air, but enough time to get the word out that all was or was not well. That was a very long time ago. In more recent and peaceful times, they are more commonly used as a means of sending wishes and prayers up into the sky towards the heavens where they might be better heard. In addition, the sight of many sky lanterns floating in the night sky is a way of bringing peace and tranquillity to any occasion, activity or event.

  

Sky lanterns come in many shapes and sizes. Today they are used in many different types of celebrations and can be the central focus of an important festival such as the Yipeng Northern Lantern Festival. This festival is a spellbinding and breathtaking ritual in which hundreds of thousands of lanterns are launched. This ancient folk festival, held during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, reflect the evolution of the Northern Thai Kingdom. The lanterns are lit and launched into the night sky as an offering to Lord Buddha. It is also believed that by setting the lanterns adrift, one symbolically casts away grief, misery and ill-fortune.