A Lanna-Buddhist festival of release: at the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, the people of northern Thailand send khom loi (sky lanterns) into the sky to symbolically let go of misfortune. Chiang Mai’s old city is the spiritual center; the mass-release ceremonies outside town are the photogenic ones.

Pro tip: the official mass-release events at Mae Jo or Doi Saket sell out months ahead and aren’t cheap, but the temple courtyards inside the old city are free, less crowded, and arguably more meaningful. Pair with the parallel Loy Krathong river-float ceremony.