The Lantern Festival
The
Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month, and traditionally ends the Chinese New Year period. In 2016, it fell on Feb. 22. In other words, the Spring Festival does not end until the Lantern Festival has passed. The busy atmosphere of the Spring Festival during the Lantern Festival brings new visions and amorous feelings. Lantern Festival is regarded as a good day for families to get together. According to Chinese folk customs, people will light up fancy lanterns while appreciating the moon during the Lantern Festival. People will also set off fireworks, guess riddles written on lanterns, and eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice balls) to celebrate the festival.
The tradition of appreciating lanterns on the Lantern Festival originates from the Eastern Han Dynasty, which has a bearing on the introduction of Buddhism into China at that time. It is a Buddhist tradition that the monks would visit sarira (relics of burnt respected Buddhists) and light lanterns to show respect to Buddha on Jan. 15. Emperors during that dynasty who were determined to promote Buddhism ordered people to light lanterns in palaces and temples to show respect to Buddha. All civilians were requested to hang lanterns for the night, which is why the festival became the Lantern Festival. The custom of guessing riddles written on lanterns during the Lantern Festival came into being during the Song dynasty. At the time, people wrote riddles on paper strips and pasted them on the colorful lanterns for others to appreciate and guess the answers. In the Qing Dynasty, fireworks became a fun addition and the Lantern Festival soon witnessed record-breaking occasions.
Yuanxiao, the traditional dimsum eaten during the Lantern Festival is commonly called tangyuan, a name that evokes the spirit of family reunions and happiness. Rolled into a ball, Yuanxiao is usually stuffed with white sugar, sweetened bean paste and sesame. Nuts ( mainly walnuts) and even meat can also be used as stuffing. Usually boiled, yuanxiao may also be deep-fried or steamed.
As time goes by, the Lantern Festival has enjoyed various celebratory activities. Some places even add traditional folk-custom performances such as playing dragon lantern, Lion Dancing, stilting, striking land boat, doing the Yangko folk dance and striking the Peace Drum. The Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese festival which has undergone a history of over 2,000 years, is still very popular both at home and abroad.