Have you ever seen an array of lights float across the sky, and stopped to wonder what they are? Or watched a movie like Tangled or Hangover 2 and been fascinated by those tiny lights that were blown away into the horizon? Well, those are known by many names such as glo lanterns, sky candles, khoom fay, Thai lanterns, Chinese lanterns, night kites, with the most popular one being Sky Lanterns.
Sky lanterns are essentially of Chinese origin, with Kong Ming Deng using them at the turn of the 3rd century to signal out for help when surrounded by enemies. They work on the same principle as the hot air balloon, which is lifted up into the atmosphere due to the hot air created by the flame within the frame. Sky lanterns are also quite popular in Thai culture and are known as “Khoom Loy”. They are part of almost all special and spiritual occasions in the country, especially weddings, and are used all year round.
Folklore has it that releasing a sky lantern into the heavens brings good luck, and it is symbolic of all your worries, ills and problems floating away. In fact, these sky lanterns are also used by Monks, as they believe that they will receive enlightenment in return, for the flame is taken to be a symbol of wisdom. It has become quite popular to release sky lanterns in recent times, as they are believed to deliver wishes to the heavens. Most people use sky lanterns to write down their wishes and prayers, and attach the same to the lantern with the hope that they will be fulfilled.
With most sky lanterns produced these days being bio-degradable, you can enjoy watching your bad luck float off without feeling guilty about polluting your environment.
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