Celebrations that revolve around light, such as lantern festivals, have long enchanted many cultures around the globe. Celebrations have always revolved around light. New Year's fireworks herald in the new year, Christmas lights adorn homes, and diyas represent the victory of good over evil during Diwali. In addition to Diwali, several nations celebrate their own festivals of light, which mesmerise both natives and visitors. We have compiled a list of worthwhile lantern festivals that take place all year round.
I Light Singapore
Marina Bay is host to the annual i Light Singapore festival, the preeminent sustainable light art event in Asia, from May to June. Light artworks made by artists all across the globe are on display. In order to promote sustainable practices in people's daily lives, each piece of art is crafted with energy-saving lights and environmentally beneficial materials. An annual event that revolves around a specific subject uses a colour from the visible light spectrum to represent different perspectives and ways of perceiving the world.
Loi Krathong—floating lantern festival
On the full moon night of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, one of the largest water lantern festivals of Thailand, Loi Krathong, is held. This happens every year in November according to the Gregorian calendar, though the exact date changes. A "Loy Krathong" is a type of floating basket. After lighting candles, incense, and small offerings like coins in decorative baskets made of banana leaves called Krathongs, the Thai people release them into the river as a tribute to the water spirits. Then, they let go of sky lanterns. By doing this, you are releasing the bad emotion and opening yourself up to the possibility of a new year filled with optimism and prosperity.
Floating Shinnyo Lantern Ceremony in Hawaii
Memorial Day in May is the time when this celebration takes place. By releasing hundreds of elaborately adorned lanterns into the Pacific Ocean, the festival pays homage to the Buddhist and Hawaiian traditions simultaneously. The tradition of lighting lanterns in memory of the departed and in celebration of the coming of peace and harmony dates back 25 years. As a Buddhist phrase, "shinnyo" emphasizes the idea that we all possess inherent light. This unique and simple celebration sends the prayers of the living to the spirits of the departed.
Pingxi Flying Lantern Festival
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is said to originate from the tradition of setting lanterns into the sky as a signal to those hiding in the mountains that it was safe to return to their hamlet once the danger had passed. These days, on the 15th of the first lunar month, the celebration is spread out over three days and features three separate sessions of lantern releases at various locations. Every year, Pingxi Junior High School hosts the second session, while Jingtong Elementary School hosts the first. Shifen Sky Lantern Square plays host to the festival's concluding session. Launching the massive lantern into the sky from Shifen Sky Lantern Square is the festival's crowning glory.
Chinese Lantern Festival of Yee Peng
Thousands of lanterns illuminated by fire float over the night sky at this famous Chiang Mai festival, drawing spectators from all over the globe. Observed annually from mid- to late-November, Yi Peng coincides with the full moon in the second month of the Lanna calendar. As a kind of protection against bad fortune in the new year, people release their lanterns into the sky with a prayer. People also hope that the gloomy and rainy days would be replaced by brighter ones during this holiday, which is associated with the changing of the seasons. The well-known Loy Krothong celebration also happens to fall on the same day as the Yi Peng festival. The second variant involves the release of "khom loy," also known as "floating lanterns" into water.
Nagasaki Lantern Festival
At this time of year, the lanterns of Japan cover the city in a mesmerising radiance. Massive local engagement and entertainment are happening alongside the decoration. Among the local festivities are acrobatic performances, lion dances, mask-changing exhibitions, dragon dances, and emperor parades. The festival has its roots in the Chinese New Year celebrations held in the spring by the first immigrants of Nagasaki, but it has since become synonymous with the colder months of the year. Additionally, for many, it is a chance to witness winter in an entirely different (and aesthetically pleasing) light.