The Lantern Festival is another important traditional festival in the mainland after the Spring Festival, which is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month every year. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, the ancients called the night "supper", the fifteenth day of the first month is the first full moon night of the year, so the fifteenth day of the first month is called the Lantern Festival, also known as the "Shangyuan Festival".
As the saying goes: "the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lantern Festival", as another major folk traditional festival after the Spring Festival, the main theme of the lantern festival festival atmosphere lies in a "noisy" word. Therefore, in the Lantern Festival, many traditional customs such as viewing flower lanterns and appreciating the full moon are the icing on the cake for this family reunion festival.
Flower viewing lights
Flower lanterns are the traditional festival customs of the Lantern Festival, which began in the Western Han Dynasty and flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and after the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the wind of lighting prevailed in successive generations, and gradually passed down to future generations.
The custom of viewing flower lanterns during the Lantern Festival originated from the time of the Han Ming Emperor. During the Yongping period, Emperor Ming of Han vigorously advocated Buddhism and ordered that on the fifteenth night of the first month, "lamps were lit to offer buddhas" in the court and monasteries. Later, the custom of lanterns was gradually spread from the court to the folk, and every Lantern Festival, whether it was a scholar or a commoner, every household would hang lanterns, and the streets and alleys would be illuminated.
In ancient times, the lanterns of the Lantern Festival mainly played the role of exorcising demons and descending demons, and also had the meaning of praying for light, while also symbolizing peace and reunion.
Guess the riddle
"Guessing the Lantern Riddle", also known as "Playing the Lantern Riddle", is a traditional folk entertainment activity unique to China with rich national style, and it is a special activity of the Lantern Festival that has been circulating since ancient times.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the traditional folk hang lanterns and set off fireworks, and later some good deeds write riddles on paper and paste them on colorful lanterns for people to guess. Because riddles can inspire wisdom and cater to the festive atmosphere, there are many people who respond, and then guessing puzzles gradually become an indispensable program for the Lantern Festival. The lantern riddle adds to the festive atmosphere and shows the ingenuity and yearning of the ancient working people for a better life. Some people write riddles on a slip of paper, paste them on colorful lanterns for people to guess, and hang the riddle with lights, so it is called "riddles", thus adding a lot of elegance to the festive days.
Eat the Lantern
"Lantern" is the name of the northerners, and the southerners are also called "Tangyuan" and "Tang Tuan".
According to the traditional folk customs of the mainland, every year on the fifteenth day of the first month, every household must eat tangyuan. Because these names are similar to the pronunciation of "reunion", the shape of the Lantern is a round ball, which also symbolizes the reunion circle, and eating tangyuan on the fifteenth day of the first month is more to hope that in the new year, the family can be reunited and complete.
When cooking the Lantern Festival, after opening the pot, floating on the water, it is good to look at, it is easy to think of a round of bright moon hanging in the clouds, "the bright moon in the sky, the tangyuan in the bowl", the reunion of every household, fully showing the inheritance and love of Chinese for traditional festivals, but also the pursuit and affirmation of Chinese culture.
The fifteenth day of the first month makes a Lantern Festival, and spends a good full moon to celebrate the full year.
On the occasion of this Lantern Festival, Haoshanghui offers you the most sincere wishes: people are round, reunion is round; fortune is lucky, fate is endless; willing to wish, willing to do as you want; wish you a happy Lantern Festival!