In Buddhism, the light of a lantern represents the moving away from darkness into a brighter future. And in northern Thai culture, making lanterns or donating them to the local wat (temple) is a way for Buddhists to make merit. Making lanterns is traditionally carried out at the time of Yi Peng to mark the end of the rainy season. During the Yi Peng Lantern Festival, colourful lanterns are hung outside homes and temples. Sky lanterns are also released during Yi Peng to pay respect to Buddha and as a way for people to symbolically let go of bad memories and make a wish for good luck.