On the 15th day of the first lunar month, two weeks after Chinese New Year, another important traditional Chinese festival, the Chinese Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Jie or Yuanxiao Festival, is celebrated. It marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the end of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) period.
On the night of the Chinese Lantern Festival, streets are decorated with colorful lanterns, often with riddles written on them. People eat sweet rice balls called tangyuan, watch dragon and lion dances, and set off fireworks.
The most popular traditions to celebrate Yuanxiao Festival are enjoying lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, eating tangyuan, and lion/dragon dances.
Lighting and appreciating lanterns is the main activity of Yuan Xiao Jie. Lanterns are seen everywhere including in houses, shopping malls, parks, and streets. The traditional lanterns are almost always red to invoke good fortune.
Lighting lanterns symbolize "illuminating the future". It is a way for people to pray that they will have smooth futures and to express their best wishes for their families.
During the Lantern Festival, many big lantern fairs are held in China, such as Qinhuai International Lantern Festival in Nanjing and Shanghai Yuyuan Lantern Festival. The lanterns' artwork vividly illustrates traditional Chinese imagery and symbols, such as fruits, flowers, birds, animals, people, and buildings.
Guessing lantern riddles started in the Song Dynasty, and it is one of the most important and popular activities of the Lantern Festival. Lantern owners write riddles on paper notes and paste them on the colorful lanterns. People crowd round to guess the riddles.
If someone thinks they have the right answer, they can pull the riddle off and go to the lantern owner to check their answer. If the answer is right, there is usually a small gift as a prize.
Eating tangyuan is an important custom of the Lantern Festival. Tangyuan, also called yuanxiao in the north, are balls of glutinous rice boiled in a sweet soup.
As tangyuan is pronounced similarly to tuanyuan, which means 'reunion' and 'completeness', Chinese people believe that the round shape of the balls and bowls symbolizes wholeness and togetherness. The popular lucky saying when eating tangyuan is 'tuan tuan yuan yuan': 'Happy (family) reunion!'
As two of the most outstanding traditional folk dances in China, dragon and lion dances are common during the Lantern Festival.
Chinese people traditionally regard the lion as a symbol of bravery and strength and believe that its appearance can drive away evil and protect people and their livestock. Chinese people worship the dragon and regard it as a symbol of good luck.
As the lanterns gently sway in the night sky, the Lantern Festival reminds us of the beauty of reunion and the hope a new year brings. Whether through the sweet taste of tangyuan or the vibrant rhythm of a dragon dance, this festival illuminates not just the streets, but the hearts of all who celebrate. May the light of the lanterns guide you toward happiness and togetherness in the year ahead.
