“See the light” in real life.
If you’ve seen Tangled, you’ll know that the iconic scene that defines the movie takes place when Flynn Rider (Eugene, if you’d prefer) takes Rapunzel to finally seen the floating lights. The thousands of glowing lanterns only adds to the beauty of the moment when these two finally realize their love.
And if you’re anything like me you’ve probably thought Wow! I wish this was real!
Fortunately for us, it is. Disney’s animators who worked on “Tangled” actually took inspiration from real floating lantern festivals that have taken place for centuries.
Floating lanterns have history in China, Taiwan, and Thailand, as well as in Brazil, Mexico, and other Latin American countries. They’re used for purposes like religious worship, to make wishes, and of course, for fun. Today, lantern festivals can be found all around the world and the next festival may be happening closer to you than you think!
Perhaps one of the more famous and historically founded lantern festivals takes place every year in Pingxi, Thailand. During this festival participants are allowed to write wishes and ambitions on their lanterns before letting them float to the sky. The event is a popular tourist attraction and will be held in 2015 on March 5th!
But if you’re like us and live in the United States, you may not have to travel too far to attend one of these festivals. A group called The Lantern Fest organizes floating lantern events in a variety of American cities! Your registration includes not only a lantern, but also crayons for decorating as well as a S’mores kit. Check out their website to see if they’re having an event near you.
You can always buy your own floating lanterns online so you can re-create the magic of Tangled right in your own backyard. Just be sure to check the legal issues concerning floating lanterns in your area.
So next time you’re watching “Tangled”, be sure to keep in mind that you too can “see the light”!
– – –
Would you ever participate in a floating lantern festival? Would you travel far to attend? What would you write on your lantern when you get there? Let us know in the comments!
I went to the Rise Festival in the Mojave Desert in October just outside of Las Vegas! Equally as breathtaking as the festival in Thailand and absolutely amazing… maybe even lifechanging. Especially magical for anyone fond of Tangled!!! 🙂
Pingxi is in Taiwan not Thailand. I think the imagineer for tangled took other inspiration for the movie from taiwan, as the Taiwanese flag also features a sun similar to the one in tangled
They have a floating lantern festival every year where I live at in Hawai’i on Memorials day. I hope I get a chance to attend it this year it’s truly so beautiful.