Yi Peng: Lighting Up the Thai Night with Dreams

Thousands of brilliant lanterns are launched into the night sky during the amazing Yi Peng, the Lantern Festival of Thailand, to represent letting go of bad luck and welcome good fortune. Growing up in Hisar, my own relationship to light celebrations like Diwali connected me immediately to Yi Peng’s calm beauty and spiritual resonance.
During Diwali, I would marvel at the beauty of the fireworks as a little youngster saw the heavens light up. To that, Yi Peng feels as a more subdued, meditative counterpart. The calm of the floating lanterns provides tranquilly and meditation instead of the cracking of pyrotechnics. This is a time to stop and consider one’s aspirations, much like when we light diyas at home—each flame bearing a silent prayer.
The collective effort Yi Peng involves is among its most beautiful features. Seeing relatives, friends, and even total strangers gather to release lanterns reflects the way Indian families gather for celebrations. It’s a reminder of how customs, wherever they start, have the ability to unite people.
Studying in Toulouse, I can identify with the lanterns’ symbolic of letting go and welcome fresh starts. My path here has been one of transitions—from home, adjusting to a new culture, and learning to negotiate obstacles. The message of Yi Peng speaks to this stage of my life and reminds me to let go of worries and start hoping forward.
Should I go to Yi Peng, I would want to personalise my lantern with wishes for my family and friends back home so it may transmit my love across boundaries. Seeing it rise against the night sky would be a humbling event—a time to establish a connection to something more than oneself.
The message of Yi Peng adds to its attractiveness, not only in appearance. It honours global qualities of optimism and rejuvenation. Festivals like Yi Peng remind us that light, both literal and symbolic, always finds a way to shine whether in Thai sky or the courtyards of India.

Recipe: Mango Sticky Rice