Bonnyville residents walking or driving by the intersection of 45th Avenue and 42rd Street in the past week or so may have noticed an unusual site — brightly coloured lanterns on the ground or hanging in the trees next to an apartment block on the northwest corner of the intersection.
The evening lanterns mark Vesak, an important festival in predominantly Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka.
The ones on display outside the apartment block on clear nights without the threat of rain are the work of seven local residents who have come to Canada from Sri Lanka. The group members — Dayan Amupitiya, Hiroshi Amupitiya, Roshan De Silva, Samantha Nalin, Upul Samarawickrama, Buddhika Chandrasekara and Christeta Chandrasekara — first put the lanterns out Wednesday evening, and they expect they'll continue with the practice until late this week, weather permitting.
As they stood in the glow of the lights last week, Dayan Amupitiya explained how the group members fashioned the lanterns both from locally purchased supplies and paper imported from Sri Lanka. They put roughly 40 person-hours into preparation of the lanterns.
The largest lantern, hung from a sturdy tree, is known as an atapattama, while a smaller lantern placed on the ground is designed to resemble a lotus flower.
The group members said the lanterns made them feel more at home in Bonnyville.
The lanterns are generally referred to as Vesak lanterns, and are typically displayed in both private homes and public places during the time of the Vesak festival, which celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Buddha. As with Easter, the Vesak period is determined using the lunar calendar.
Residents who want to catch a glimpse of the lanterns are encouraged to stop by the display early this week in the evenings if the weather is good. If it's raining, the delicate lanterns won't be put on display.