Lanterns in various sizes and shapes will be hung on everywhere including households, shopping malls and streets. In Southern China, it is called Tang Yuan. The common fillings are sesame, red-bean and peanut butter paste. They are made of sweet rice flour into sticky glutinous balls with fillings. Among them, Yuanxiao is an indispensable food symbolizing the unity of the family. In the evening, they usually prepare a sumptuous dinner. Like the Spring Festival, on the day of the Lantern Festival, all the members will try to go home for a reunion. Legendary Story about Lantern FestivalĮnjoying the family reunion, appreciating the bright full moon, eating Yuanxiao, watching beautiful lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, watching fireworks, performing dragon lantern dance, lion dance and walking on stilts are the main traditions of the festival. While, in Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD), although only three days to celebrate, activities like dragon and lion dances, land-boat dance, walking on stilts were added. Lighting lanterns is the main custom during the above times. It lasted from the eighth day of the first lunar month to the seventeenth day in Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD). In Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD), people had five days to spend the festival. In Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), the day before and after the festival were also the times to celebrate. In Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD), people celebrate it for one day. Time to celebrate the festival and customs differ in different periods. From that time on, it has a custom to light lanterns for the festival. The Emperor Hanmingdi ordered all the temples and families should light lanterns on the evening of the day. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220AD), the custom has been popular. So to commemorate the day, lanterns should be lighted. According to the legend, the fifteenth day of the first Chinese lunar month was the day that Sakyamuni defeated the demons. On the day, families should worship the Heaven Officer of Taoism and decorate the house with lanterns to get safety.Īnother said it is related with a Buddhist legend. It is called Shangyuan Festival according to the Daoism. One said that it was originated from the Taoism. There are many origins about the Lantern Festival.
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