Buddha’s birthday is one of my most favorite times of year in Korea. Colorful lanterns begin to pop up everywhere, decorating bridges and adorning buildings. Rows and rows of glowing lanterns, seemingly suspended in mid-air, cover every Buddhist temple and courtyard. Over the course of two weeks the festivities in Daegu included lantern festivals, lantern releases, games, parties, and plenty of street food.
I could hear the sounds of laughter and faint chords of folk music from our apartment on the 17th floor as dusk approached on the first night of the lantern festival. Bursting with excitement, we quickly made our way downstairs and walked across the street to the trail along the river where the lantern festival had only just begun. From a distance the Sincheon river was aglow with hanging lanterns and illuminated floats while the smell of baked goods and roasted meats wafted through the air.
Spring had only just begun and everything was so bright, vivid and full of life.
