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I’m surrounded by thousands of glowing jellyfish suspended in a black ocean. I reach out and touch one — really a glowing paper lantern. It bounces off me and continues its slow ascent to heaven.

Fireworks explode overhead. Green, red and blue sparklers provide a magical backdrop as the golden dots float into the distance.

It’s easy to get swept up in the magic and beauty of the moment, forgetting the real meaning — releasing one’s sin — behind this Northern Thai Festival called Yee Peng.

This is my first Buddhist ceremony, even though I’ve traveled around the world writing stories about different cultures for years. I never knew releasing sin could be so beautiful and awe-inspiring.

The Thai woman standing next to me says this is the one time of year she feels light and beautiful from the inside out. The 48-year-old mother of two has been practicing Buddhism her entire life and never misses this November ceremony. She literally counts down the months, and then days, until she can release her sins through these traditional lanterns.

Som Mookjai spends most of the year making merit, or doing good works, for her various sins and wrongdoings. She takes food to the monks, but feeding the orphans is where she finds the most joy.

“You can never do enough merit,” Mookjai says as she picks up a lantern for herself and one for me.

I thank her for the gift and explain that I don’t need it. My God already sacrificed for my sins. She nods, not really interested, and continues with the task at hand — preparing the lantern for launch.

Mookjai unfolds the mulberry paper, revealing a 4-foot balloon connected to a bamboo frame. She lights the fuel cell, casting a beautiful golden hue on our faces. As we wait for the lantern to fill with hot air, she prays to Buddha, asking for a year of good health.

She tells me this ceremony helps her feel comforted and brings a sense of relief. She explains that it is hard walking around for an entire year with so much on your shoulders. It makes her feel heavy. Curiosity gets the best of me and I ask how many lanterns it takes to feel total relief.

“I release lanterns just enough for my sin,” she assures me. Then, explains that as the lanterns float higher and higher, she feels lighter and lighter. “I do not do too many, just enough for the year.”

Lanterns all around us begin standing straight up; it’s time for another mass release. Mookjai’s lantern is ready. She places my hand on the bamboo frame to feel its gentle tug. It wants to leave. She whispers another prayer to Buddha and slowly releases the balloon.

We watch the beautiful lantern rise lazily, joining thousands of others in flight. They move as one in the dark sky, drifting higher and higher. When a wind current whisks the glowing mass away, we are left standing there, engulfed in darkness and empty-handed.

“I still feel heavy,” Mookjai sighs. “One is not enough.”

She bends down and fumbles in the dark, searching for another lantern.

Every year when the moon is full on the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar (November), people in Thailand and parts of Laos and Myanmar celebrate Loi Krathong. Fourteen-year-old Sudtherak Inthiyon explains the beliefs behind this festival for her Buddhist family.

Q: What is Loy Krathong?

Loi Krathong is a Thai tradition. Launching lanterns, called Khom fai (comb figh) or fire kite, are a popular activity to do during the festival. The northern area of Thailand calls this festival “Yee Peng.” It involves launching lanterns into the sky and floating hand-made banana boats on the river.

Q: Why do you launch the lanterns?

We launch the lanterns for good luck. As the lanterns float off into the night sky it takes away all of our sin and bad luck from the past year.

Launching lanterns is a tradition in Northern Thailand and some parts of Laos and Myanmar. However, releasing handmade boats, called Krathong, onto the river is done throughout the region. There are large parades and festivals to celebrate.

Q: Why is the Krathong important to this festival?

For the krathongs, we use the stalk of a banana tree as the floating part of the vessel and then decorate it with banana leaves and flowers. We float a Krathong down the river to carry away our sin. We also use it as a way to offer an apology to the river goddess for how we pollute the waters. We put money, pieces of our hair or fingernails on the boat as a sacrifice for our sins. Then we pray to Buddha asking for good luck and peace for the next year.

Q: How many times a year do you launch the boats or lanterns?

We only float the krathongs once a year and it’s the only time you can release your sins in this way. We launch the lanterns at weddings and other things, but when we do it there, it means something different. It isn’t for sin; it’s for good luck.

Q: Which is your favorite — floating the Krathong or the lanterns?

My favorite is floating the Krathong on the river. It’s so beautiful to see so many beautifully decorated boats on the river. We have competitions for the most beautifully decorated Krathong. There are also competitions for launching the lanterns. The boys and men try to get the lanterns to float through a hoop in the sky.

This is a really fun festival.