August 7, 2012

Summer Family Fun: Chinese Wish Lanterns

chinese_lanterns

by Clarke Marketing Administration Manager Katherine Head

At Clarke we’re all about lifestyle, family, celebrations…so I wanted to share my latest discovery with you. I went to a friend’s wedding at a ski mountain this summer, and although the wedding was not extravagant, they did one thing in particular that was a really neat and special. They gave the wedding party Chinese Wish Lanterns and released them all together. They were simple and beautiful.

Chinese lanterns are air born paper lanterns that are a part of rituals and festivals in some Asian cultures. They are made of oiled rice paper with a bamboo frame. They typically have a cube that you light on all four corners. Once the hot air fills the balloon, it will let you know when it is ready to fly.

There is something magical about the teamwork of one person holding the lantern and another person lighting it. It’s fun and easy when done together. We bought a more expensive version and some less expensive versions. The slight increase in is definitely worth it. Since the wedding, I have set off these lanterns a bunch of different times with different people, in different places. Each time the experience is a little different and the flight patterns are never the same. It was also great to use these as fireworks on the 4th of July. The lack of noise was really appreciated by the neighbors. It made for a very peaceful and reflective moment at our celebration.

 

Enjoy!