Sunday 31 December 2017
The Lanterns of New Year’s Celebrations

One of the things Thailand is famous for is the lantern festival in November and also the lanterns used in the New Year’s celebrations in various parts of Thailand. And in Chiang Mai, there are hundreds of lanterns floated into the sky on New Year’s Eve. Here is a picture of a few of the lanterns in the sky – this was early in the evening, so the number of lanterns is very low.

A photograph does not do justice to the view, and later in the evening, there are 4 or 5 times as many lanterns. So just what are these lanterns, and how do they work. They are basically an upside down plastic or nylon bag, almost paper-like in feel, with a flame source at the middle of the bottom. One lights the flame source, waits until the lantern fills with hot air, and then as it tries to float, one lets go and it floats up to the sky. On New Year’s one is to symbolically let your worries, fears, and bad thoughts from the past go away with the lantern.

Here is a sequence of some people lighting and floating a lantern. First, lighting the flame source.

Then, allowing the lantern to fill with hots air:

Finally, letting go and watching the lantern go into the sky:

One lantern that hit the branches of a tree is stuck. Eventually, the flame source will burn out and the lantern will fall to the ground. Here is another example of a lantern headed up into the sky.

Next: Back to a routine after the holiday in Chiang Mai.