About Sky Lanterns

Sky Lanterns (Khoom Fay, Khom Loy, Fire-Balloons, in the media known as UFO shaped Balloons) are traditionally made of oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame that contains a waxy fuel cell. These days, Sky Lanterns are made from Mulberry paper, as it is a lot more versatile and readily available. When a Sky Lantern is lit, the heat generated from the fuel cell creates lift (like a hot air balloon), and causes the lantern to rise into the sky. The Sky Lantern and its fuel cell, comes in many colours and sizes. Flight time is dependant on lantern size, weather conditions and legal altitude restrictions, which vary in some countries. Once the fuel cell has been exhausted, the Sky lantern floats gently back to Earth.

History

In Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, the Sky Lanterns are known as "Khoom Loy". Traditional Northern Thai (Lanna) people use Sky Lanterns all year round, for Spiritual celebrations and other special occasions, one particular festival, the Loi Kratong festival or Yipeng Lantern festival in which; couples and loved ones gather on the riverbanks to float handmade flower arrangements (Kratong), and release 'Khom Loy' together. This is usually held during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month in the Buddhist Calendar, normally in November.

It is considered good luck to release a 'Kratong' and 'Khom Loy', as many Thai people, especially Buddhists, believe they are symbolic of your problems and worries floating away. It is tradition to offer the lanterns to Temples and monks, as givers believe they will receive enlightenment in return, as the flame of the lantern is said to symbolize wisdom. The lantern's light shows them to the 'right path'.

Sky Lanterns date back hundreds of years, since armies deployed them as signalling devices, which were then later adopted by common folk, who used them to convey their wishes to Heaven.