Lantern Festival

Last day of Chinese New Year celebrations

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This article is about the Lantern Festival in China. For related festivals in the East Asian cultural sphere, see First Full Moon Festival

Lantern Festival

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Lantern Festival celebrated in Tainan at night

Official name

Yuánxiāo jié

(

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) /

Shàngyuán jié

Observed byChineseTypeCultural, ReligiousSignificanceMarks the end of the Chinese New YearObservancesFlying of paper lanterns;
Consumption of tangyuanDate15th day of the 1st lunisolar month date5 February date24 February date12 FebruaryRelated toChotrul Duchen (in Tibet)
Daeboreum (in Korea)
Koshōgatsu (in Japan)
Magha Puja (in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos)
T&#;t Nguyên Tiêu (in Vietnam) Statues of mother and daughter celebrating the Lantern Festival. Xi'an

The Lantern Festival (traditional Chinese: &#;&#;&#;; simplified Chinese: &#;&#;&#;; pinyin: Yuánxiāo jié), also called Shangyuan Festival (traditional Chinese: &#;&#;&#;; simplified Chinese: &#;&#;&#;; pinyin: Shàngyuán jié) and Cap Go Meh (Chinese: &#;&#;&#;; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Cha̍p-gō͘-mê), is a Chinese traditional festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar, during the full moon. Usually falling in February or early March on the Gregorian calendar, it marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.[1] As early as the Western Han dynasty (206 BC&#;AD 25), it had become a festival with great significance.[2]

During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns (traditional Chinese: &#;&#;&#;; simplified Chinese: &#;&#;&#;; pinyin: cāidēngmí).[3][4] In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, and only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate lanterns.[5] In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs.[4] For example, lanterns are now often made in the shape of animals. The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones,[6] which they will let go of the next year. The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune.[7]

The festival acts as an Uposatha day on the Chinese calendar.[8][9] It should not be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival; which is sometimes also known as the "Lantern Festival" in locations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.[2][10] Lantern Festivals have also become popular in Western countries, such as the Water Lantern Festival held in multiple locations in the United States.[11]

Origin

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There are several beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival. However, its roots trace back more than 2,000 years and is popularly linked to the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han dynasty.[12] Emperor Ming, an advocate of Buddhism, noticed Buddhist monks would light lanterns in temples on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar month. As a result, he ordered all households, temples and the imperial palace to light lanterns on that evening.[13] From there it developed into a folk custom. Another likely origin is the celebration of "the declining darkness of winter" and community's ability to "move about at night with human-made light," namely, lanterns. During the Han dynasty, the festival was connected to Ti Yin, the deity of the North Star.[1]

Red lanterns, often seen during the festivities in China Taiwan Lantern Festival

There is one legend that states that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times. The belief was that Taiyi controlled the destiny of the human world. He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings. Beginning with Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, all the emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people.[14][5]

Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty directed special attention to this event. In 104 BC, he proclaimed it to be one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.

Another legend associates the Lantern Festival with Taoism. Tianguan is the Taoist deity responsible for good fortune. His birthday falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar month. It is said that Tianguan likes all types of entertainment, so followers prepare various kinds of activities during which they pray for good fortune.[15]

Another legend associates with the Lantern Festival with an ancient warrior named Lan Moon, who led a rebellion against the tyrannical king in ancient China. He was killed in the storming of the city and the successful rebels commemorated the festival in his name.[15]

Yet another common legend dealing with the origins of the Lantern Festival speaks of a beautiful crane that flew down to earth from heaven. After it landed on earth it was hunted and killed by some villagers. This angered the Jade Emperor in heaven because the crane was his favorite. So, he planned a storm of fire to destroy the village on the fifteenth lunisolar day. The Jade Emperor's daughter warned the inhabitants of her father's plan to destroy their village. The village was in turmoil because nobody knew how they could escape their imminent destruction. However, a wise man from another village suggested that every family should hang red lanterns around their houses, set up bonfires on the streets, and explode firecrackers on the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth lunisolar days. This would give the village the appearance of being on fire to the Jade Emperor. On the fifteenth lunisolar day, troops sent down from heaven whose mission was to destroy the village saw that the village was already ablaze, and returned to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor. Satisfied, the Jade Emperor decided not to burn down the village. From that day on, people celebrate the anniversary on the fifteenth lunisolar day every year by carrying lanterns on the streets and exploding firecrackers and fireworks.[16]

Another legend about the origins of Lantern Festival involves a maid named Yuan-Xiao. In the Han dynasty, Dongfang Shuo was a favorite adviser of the emperor. One winter day, he went to the garden and heard a little girl crying and getting ready to jump into a well to commit suicide. Shuo stopped her and asked why. She said she was Yuan-Xiao, a maid in the emperor's palace and that she never had a chance to see her family since she started working there. If she could not have the chance to show her filial piety in this life, she would rather die. Shuo promised to find a way to reunite her with her family. Shuo left the palace and set up a fortune-telling stall on the street. Due to his reputation, many people asked for their fortunes to be told but everyone got the same prediction &#; a calamitous fire on the fifteenth lunisolar day. The rumor spread quickly.[15]

Everyone was worried about the future so they asked Dongfang Shuo for help. Dongfang Shuo said that on the thirteenth lunisolar day, the God of Fire would send a fairy in red riding a black horse to burn down the city. When people saw the fairy they should ask for her mercy. On that day, Yuan-Xiao pretended to be the red fairy. When people asked for her help, she said that she had a copy of a decree from the God of Fire that should be taken to the emperor. After she left, people went to the palace to show the emperor the decree which stated that the capital city would burn down on the fifteenth. When the emperor asked Dongfang Shuo for advice, the latter said that the God of Fire liked to eat tangyuan (sweet dumplings). Yuan-Xiao should cook tangyuan on the fifteenth lunisolar day and the emperor should order every house to prepare tangyuan to worship the God of Fire at the same time. Also, every house in the city should hang red lantern and explode fire crackers. Lastly, everyone in the palace and people outside the city should carry their lanterns on the street to watch the lantern decorations and fireworks. The Jade Emperor would be deceived and everyone would avoid the disastrous fire.[16]

The emperor happily followed the plan. Lanterns were everywhere in the capital city on the night of the fifteenth lunisolar day and people were walking on the street and there were noisy firecrackers. It looked as if the entire city was on fire. Yuan-Xiao's parents went into the palace to watch the lantern decorations and were reunited with their daughter. The emperor decreed that people should do the same thing every year. Since Yuan-Xiao cooked the best tangyuan, people called the day Yuan-Xiao Festival.

For each Festival celebrated, a switch in the Chinese Zodiac takes place. For example, &#;the year of the tiger; &#;the year of the rabbit (water rabbit); and so on.

Tradition

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Finding love

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In the early days, young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples. The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope. As time has passed, the festival no longer has such implications in most of Mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong.[10]

Tangyuan or Yuanxiao

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Eaten during the Lantern Festival, tangyuan '&#;&#;' (Southern China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia) or yuanxiao '&#;&#;' (Northern China) is a glutinous rice ball typically filled with sweet red bean paste, sesame paste, or peanut butter.[3] Tangyuan is different from yuanxiao due to different manual making and filling processes.[17] It can be boiled, fried or steamed, each has independent taste. However, they are very similar in shape and taste, so most people do not distinguish them for convenience and consider them as the same thing.[17] Chinese people believe that the round shape of the balls and the bowls in which they are served symbolize family togetherness, and that eating tangyuan or yuanxiao may bring the family harmony, happiness and luck in the new year.[2][4]

• Yuanxiao and its fillings

• Yuanxiao

• Yuanxiao

• Yuanxiao

• Tangyuan

• Tangyuan

• Tangyuan

• Tangyuan

• Tang Yuan

6th century and afterwards

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During the Sui dynasty in the sixth century, Emperor Yang invited envoys from other countries to China to see the colourful lighted lanterns and enjoy the gala performances.[18]

By the beginning of the Tang dynasty in the seventh century, the lantern displays would last three days. The emperor also lifted the curfew, allowing the people to enjoy the festive lanterns day and night. It is not difficult to find Chinese poems which describe this happy scene.[18]

In the Song dynasty, the festival was celebrated for five days[12] and the activities began to spread to many of the big cities in China.

Today, the displaying of lanterns is still a major event on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar month throughout China. Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province, for example, holds a lantern fair each year in Culture Park. During the Lantern Festival, the park is a virtual ocean of lanterns. Many new designs attract large numbers of visitors. The most eye-catching lantern is the Dragon Pole. This is a lantern in the shape of a golden dragon, spiraling up a 38-meter-high pole, spewing fireworks from its mouth. Cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai have adopted electric and neon lanterns, which can often be seen beside their traditional paper or wooden counterparts. Another popular activity at this festival is guessing lantern riddles,[19] a tradition which dates back to the Song dynasty.[20]

For more information, please visit dinosaur lantern festival.

Festivities

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This painting, by an imperial court painter in , depicts the Chenghua Emperor enjoying the festivities with families in the Forbidden City during the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival. It includes acrobatic performances, operas, magic shows and setting off firecrackers

Lion dance (&#;&#;), walk on stilts (&#;&#;&#;), riddle games (&#;&#;&#;), dragon dances (&#;&#;&#;) are very popular activities during the festival day and the days following.

The lantern riddle, according to Japanese scholars, became popular as early as the Northern Song dynasty (960&#;). The lantern riddles are done by a host blocking one side of the lantern and pasting riddles on the remaining three sides of the lanterns. Participants will guess the blocked side by solving the riddles, which is called "breaking/solving lantern riddles". The theme of riddles can be drawn from classics, biographies, poetry, the various philosophers' well-known stories and novels, proverbs, (the names of) all kinds of birds, animals, and insects, as well as flowers, grasses, vegetables, and herbs. Participants can tear off the riddle of the lantern and let the host verify their answers. Those who answer the correct answer can get a "riddle reward", including ink, paper, writing brushes, ink slabs, fans, perfumed sachets, fruit, or eatables.[21]

See also

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References

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CNN

 &#; 

As this year&#;s Lunar New Year celebrations draw to a close, it&#;s time to get ready for the grand finale, a.k.a. the Lantern Festival.

Happening on the 15th day of the first lunar month (February 5 this year), the event, called Yuan Xiao Jie in Mandarin Chinese, is considered the perfect ending to the weeks-long Lunar New Year preparations and celebrations.

The Lantern Festival celebrates the first full moon of the year &#; hence the name (Yuan means the beginning. Xiao means night).

It marks the departure of winter and the beginning of the spring season. It often falls very close to two of the 24 traditional Chinese Solar Terms &#; an integral part of the Chinese calendar &#; &#;Spring Commences&#; and &#;Spring Showers.&#;

On this day, people light lanterns to symbolize driving out darkness and bringing hope to the coming year.

The lanterns symbolize driving out darkness and bringing hope to a new year.

Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/AP

It&#;s said that the tradition gained popularity during China&#;s Han Dynasty some 2,000 years ago.

Revelers would attend a local fair to admire fireworks, watch performances, view lanterns and solve riddles written on attached notes.

Lantern riddles have evolved over time. Here&#;s a simple one:

When you draw it, it&#;s round.

When you write it, it&#;s rectangular.

It&#;s short in winter.

It&#;s long in summer.

The answer is sun &#; &#; in Chinese.

Back in the day, the Lantern Festival was one of the rare times of the year when unmarried girls and boys would be allowed to meet each other, everyone gathering under rows of lanterns. That&#;s why some have even dubbed it Chinese Valentine&#;s Day.

The romantic festival has been well documented in historical literature, including &#;Journey to the West&#; and &#;Dream of the Red Chamber,&#; and has since inspired countless famous poems.

Lantern Festival traditions

Da tie hua, or hit iron flower, is a Lantern Festival tradition. A blacksmith throws molten iron to create a shower of sparks.

Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images

Today, the Lantern Festival is observed in communities worldwide and celebrations vary significantly. Many cities put on grand lantern exhibitions and parades to mark the festival.

Putian in China&#;s Fujian province claims to have the longest Lantern Festival celebration in the country, with some saying it&#;s considered more important than the actual Lunar New Year festival.

Festivities last nearly three weeks and include a deity parade, fire pit jumping and plenty of traditional theater and music performances.

In Hebei&#;s Nuanquan town, residents put on a spectacular &#;firework&#; show by throwing molten iron against a cold stone city wall to create sparks.

The centuries-old custom, dashuhua or da tie hua (translated as hit tree flower or hit iron flower) has been recognized as intangible cultural heritage by the Chinese government. It was also one of the key performances at the Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony in .

Made famous in the town of Nuanquan, da tie hua shows are popular in other places across China, including the Great Wall in Beijing&#;s Yanqing District, during the Lantern Festival.

But Taiwan is where you&#;ll find the most extreme Lantern Festival event of them all &#; the Beehives Fireworks Festival.

Held annually in the city of Yanshui, thousands of daredevils in helmets and fire-retardant clothing bring a series of launch towers packed with small rocket fireworks that resemble beehives into the narrow streets.

Once lit, the towers shoot hundreds and thousands of rockets in different directions, resulting in a dramatic and often terrifying scene.

Romance and rice balls

Tangyuan is a popular Lantern Festival snack.

Imaginechina/AP

No matter how big, small or dangerous your Lantern Festival party is, you can never go wrong with a bowl of round and sweet glutinous rice balls, referred to as tangyuan, as you admire the full moon.

The round motifs symbolize the reunion and wholeness of families.

Other unique celebrations can be found throughout Asia to mark the first full moon of the lunar year.

In Malaysia, the emphasis is on the match-making tradition of the Lantern Festival. Single women often toss tangerines into a river, lake or sea to pray for a good marriage.

Women write their contact info on the tangerines before tossing them into the river. Men then fish the tangerines out of the water, hoping to meet their future partners.

In South Korea, it&#;s called Daeboreum (the Great Full Moon). Many Koreans down a shot of chilled rice wine and eat different types of nuts, grains and dried vegetables. In addition to lighting lanterns, some also take a hike and make a bonfire.

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