Thai lanterns are a wonderful, colourful way to bring an atmosphere of excitement to any party or event and make for a great alternative to fireworks. Typically, party guests launch them into the sky, sometimes attaching messages carrying their wishes and hopes, but there are other ways to use the lanterns to enhance the party atmosphere. Games or challenges can be focussed around the lanterns.
One good idea is the riddle game. The host attaches cards with a riddle written on them. The person who answers the riddle gets a small prize. Lantern riddles can be very challenging, particular in languages like Chinese. Some are similar to English riddles, but others are based on the construction of Chinese characters, or refer to traditional poetry. Here are some examples, each referring to a specific Chinese character: “One dog, four mouths”, “One mouth eats the bull’s tail”. And here’s one that translates perfectly into English – It is said he is an ox, but unable to pull a cart. It is said he has little strength, but he carries his house on his back. The answer? A snail, of course. Or try this one: Five brothers, born together, of flesh and bone, but all different heights. You may have guessed correctly that the answer is “hand”.
You can come up with your own ideas for the lantern labels. Apart from riddles, you might want to write down general knowledge questions, mathematical puzzles, visual puzzles or other brain teasers. The sky is literally the limit with Thai lanterns.
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