Miss tourist

Miss Tourist - Adventure travel blog!

A lantern festival is that type of event that ANYBODY in the world like, in my opinion.

Really, how can you not? Just look at the picture!

I was really lucky to catch that festival, it took place just a week after I moved to Chiang Mai. Before I did not know that festival existed, but now I understand how much would I miss if I would not be here to the the magic happening in real life!

I will tell you all about it now. Basically, there are 2 festivals: Loi Krathong is a festival observed yearly in Asia in various regions such as Burma and Laos. It depicts a floating basket derived from the culture of making buoyant and festooned baskets made to hover on a river. While releasing the baskets, participants make a wish to be lucky and their wishes fulfilled.

However, in Chiang Mai, this light festivity also known as Yi Peng lantern festival is unique. For instance, instead of using water vessel, people release these lightened lamps in the skies as they make a wish.

This second one is way cooler in my opinion. Here is why: The atmosphere transforms into a superb and surreal sea of lanterns hovering away. It is simply a mesmerizing spectacle! The local festivity of Yee Peng is a Thai religious ceremony that seeks to pay homage to Buddha. Normally, the precise date is kept in a secret and never announced until it is few weeks leading to the occasion. In my case it was September 25th 2014.

The Loi Krathoung festival in its turn is made specially for tourists (so that they don’t ruin the sacred tradition of the first one I suppose ;)). Usually, it takes place a week or two after Yi peng and with a cost of 100$. (Wow, that’s super expensive for Asia! But the tickets are apparently sold out already). the only advantage is that the foreigners can understand everything since the rite is in English.

Despite that I would definitely recommend to go to the real one Yi Peng (hosted by Mae Jo university yearly) – it is free and you can really feel the spirit, the original purpose of releasing all your fears, dark thoughts in the sky!