Many wish lanterns were released into the wild above Piedmont Park in Atlanta. This was the beginning of the 2 week final preparation for the remarkable Bridal Extravaganza of Atlanta held on January 31st in 2011. The Chinese lanterns were lit by family as well as friends of a couple that just had just gotten married. The lanterns were a lovely means to signal the happy couple’s fantastic day and share the radiance of their marriage as far as the eye could see.
These kinds of floating lanterns were customarily used to commemorate diverse social occasions in addition to celebrations in the Far East. Donna Jakulski, recognized as a popular bridal show creator in Atlanta, said: “We’re excited to bring Wish Lanterns to Atlanta to introduce them to brides, grooms, families and friends planning weddings.”
Given about 100 Chinese lanterns that her relatives and buddies could release, bride Monica A. was chosen by the Bridal Extravaganza of Atlanta to display the flying lanterns at her wedding party. She and groom Jonathan C. were married at the Graystone celebration accommodations in Piedmont Park on that special Sunday. They were chosen by Perfect Pedals, their florist, which was a highlighted vendor in Atlanta’s Best Wedding Professionals for the Bridal Extravaganza of Atlanta for 2011.
Assisting family and friends in sharing their personalized wishes for the blessed life of the couple, the wish lanterns are a fantastic means for friends and relatives to play a part in the marriage ceremony observance. Speedily gaining fame for b-days, weddings, and also numerous other festivities, the lanterns are a lovely custom.
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A History of Chinese Wish Lanterns
Also known as sky lanterns, these artful constructions have been used in China and other parts of eastern Asian since the 3rd Century BCE. They are called Konngming lanterns in China because folklore says that Zhuge Liang used one to summon help when he was besieged by enemy forces. He was known as Kongming.
Some people speculate that sky lanterns may have inspired some stories about unidentified flying objects, although this doesn’t seem very likely in most cases.
The 2016 fantasy movie The Great Wall used overlarge sky lanterns as a special effect. An army of Chinese soldiers needed to travel a great distance in a short time. They took to the sky in improvised balloons that used wooden platforms and very thin balloons shaped like sky lanterns. Of course this was just a movie and not based on real history.
The Environmental Impact of Wish Lanterns
These enchanting lanterns are popular at festivals and weddings and they are believed to bring good luck. Sadly they have become so popular in recent years they are credited with causing severe economic damage, including starting forest fires and harming animals. Each lantern contains a small bit of metal that – when it falls out of the sky – may become embedded in plants or hay that animals eat.
Many communities now limit or forbid the use of wish lanterns to protect the environment. Some countries began banning their use in 2009.
