This time of year in the West, Christmas lights illuminate the long winter nights and our quests for Black Friday deals. Head east towards Chiang Mai, Thailand, and you'll encounter the lantern festivals known as Yi Peng and Loy Krathong which brings friends and family together to witness the brightening of the night sky in an otherworldly fashion.

The festivals are spiritual, ancient, and sacred affairs that invite new beginnings via spiritual cleansing. The spellbinding shows are participation at its finest; thousands of people converge to release khom loi (lit lanterns) into the night sky. Prior to the big spectacle, the setting is joyful and serene as monks perform chants during an on-stage ceremony.

During the other key ritual of this beautiful Thai festival of lights, participants let go of krathong—small floating vessels made from banana stalks and decorated with incense, offerings, flowers and candles—into rivers and other bodies of water, creating an ethereal sight that’s rarely duplicated elsewhere in the world.

And there's not much to fear in terms of environmental impact. Chiang Mai has it dialed in: The fuel cells in the lanterns burn out after about 10 minutes, at which point the lanterns gracefully fall back to earth, triggering what amounts to an extensive cleanup effort. Fortunately, most of the lanterns are made from biodegradable rice paper, which grazing animals eat or, if that doesn’t happen, break down after a few rains.

Enjoy the video above and get Yi Peng and Loy Krathong on your bucket list.