Sky Lantern

A brief overview...

The use of sky lanterns is becoming increasingly popular. Many people use them for informal get togethers or parties. Often people use sky lanterns at birthday parties, anniversaries or even grand opening events for businesses. One of the most popular times to incorporate sky lanterns into a special occasion is during a wedding. Regardless of the reason, sky lanterns lend a festive air to any occasion. They are fun and beautiful to look at. It is no wonder their use is growing rapidly. But, this is not a new occurrence. Sky lanterns have been used for centuries and have a rich history steeped in tradition.

When were Sky Lanterns first invented?

Sky lanterns were first invented by the Chinese and were actually used as a functional tool in times of war.  Troops would use them as signals to other soldiers to message each other briefly.  They would rise in the air to alert the friendly troops of danger or to tell them that all was well.  Then, they would fall to the ground.  Since then sky lanterns have been incorporated into much more pleasant uses.

When it was peace time, sky lanterns began emerging in non military applications.  Commoners would use them to help bless their crops or to request good favour.  They would light the sky lanterns and pray for whatever it is they wanted or needed.  Sometimes they would wish for good fortune, a good harvest, fertility or whatever they wanted.  The belief was that the sky lanterns would float up to the heavens to be closer to the gods’ ears.  The additional belief was that the more sky lanterns were used and the longer they remained in the air, the better chances the people would have of their wishes and prayers coming true.