Happy Lantern Festival

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival. And this day is the first full moon night of the year. 

 元宵习俗


Customs of the Lantern Festival  

中国幅员辽阔，历史悠久，所以关于元宵节的习俗在全国各地也不尽相同，其中吃元宵、赏花灯、舞龙、舞狮子等是元宵节几项重要民间习俗。  

China has a vast territory and a long history, so the customs on the Lantern Festival are not the same across the country. Among them, eating Tang-yuan, lantern viewing, dragon dancing, and lion dancing are several important folk customs of the Lantern Festival. 

吃元宵Eat Tang-Yuan

正月十五吃元宵，“元宵”作为食品，在我国由来已久。

宋代，民间即流行一种元宵节吃 的新奇食品。这种食品，最早叫“ 浮元子”后称“元宵” 。元宵即"汤圆"以白糖、玫瑰、芝麻、豆沙、黄桂、核桃仁、果仁、枣泥等为馅，用糯米粉包成圆形，可荤可素，风味各异。可汤煮、油炸、蒸食，有团圆美满之意。

Eat Tang-Yuan for the Lantern Festival has a long history in China."Tangyuan" is filled with sugar, rose, sesame, red bean paste, yellow cinnamon, walnut kernel, nut kernel, date puree, etc.It can be boiled in soup, fried and steamed.

闹花灯Watch the lantern

农历正月十五是“元宵节”，此节日民间有挂灯、打灯、观灯等习俗，故也称灯节。 

闹花灯是元宵节传统节日习俗，始于西汉，兴盛于隋唐。隋唐以后，历代灯火之风盛行，并沿袭传于后世。正月十五，也是一年一度的闹花灯放烟火的节日。所以又把元宵节称为“灯节”。

Lantern Festival has folk customs such as hanging lamps, lighting lamps, and watching lanterns.Lantern lanterns are a traditional festival custom of the Lantern Festival, which began in the Western Han Dynasty and flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. After the Sui and Tang dynasties, the wind of lanterns prevailed and passed on to future generations. Therefore, the Lantern Festival is also called "Lantern Festival".

猜灯谜Guess the lantern riddle

猜灯谜是中国独有的富有民族风格的一种传统民俗文娱活动形式，是从古代就开始流传的元宵节特色活动。

每逢农历正月十五，传统民间都要挂起彩灯，燃放焰火，后来有好事者把谜语写在纸条上，贴在五光十色的彩灯上供人猜。因为谜语能启迪智慧又迎合节日气氛，所以响应的人众多，而后猜谜逐渐成为元宵节不可缺少的节目。

Guessing lantern riddles is a unique folklore and entertainment activity form unique to China, and is a characteristic activity of the Lantern Festival that has been around since ancient times.In this day, traditional folks hang lanterns and set off fireworks. Later, some people wrote riddles on paper notes and posted them on colorful lanterns for people to guess. Because riddles can inspire wisdom and cater to the festive atmosphere, so many people responded, and then guessing riddles gradually became an indispensable program for the Lantern Festival.
 

舞龙灯Dragon Dance

舞龙灯，也称耍龙灯或龙舞。它的起源可以追溯上古时代。

华夏崇尚龙，把龙作为吉祥的象征。舞龙灯时由多人分节手持撑杆举起龙体，碎步起跑，动作多变，精彩纷呈。

Dragon dance, its origins date back to ancient times.Huaxia respects dragons and regards dragons as auspicious symbols. During the dragon dance, many people lifted the dragon's body by holding the poles in sections, and started in broken steps. The action was varied and wonderful.