Lantern Festival
lantern festival traditional chinese 元宵節 simplified chinese 元宵节 pinyin yuánxiāo jié also called shangyuan festival traditional chinese 上元節 simplified chinese 上元节 pinyin shàngyuán jié cap go meh chinese 十五暝 pe̍hōejī cha̍pgō͘mê chinese traditional festival celebrated fifteenth day first month lunisolar chinese calendar full moon usually falling february early march gregorian calendar mark final day traditional chinese new year celebration early western han dynasty bc–ad become festival great significance lantern festival child go night carrying paper lantern solve riddle lantern traditional chinese 猜燈謎 simplified chinese 猜灯谜 pinyin cāidēngmí ancient time lantern fairly simple emperor nobleman large ornate lantern modern time lantern embellished many complex design example lantern often made shape animal lantern symbolize people letting go past self getting new one let go next year lantern almost always red symbolize good fortune festival act uposatha day chinese calendar confused midautumn festival sometimes also known lantern festival location indonesia malaysia singapore lantern festival also become popular western country water lantern festival held multiple location united state several belief origin lantern festival however root trace back year popularly linked reign emperor wen han dynasty emperor ming advocate buddhism noticed buddhist monk would light lantern temple fifteenth day first lunisolar month result ordered household temple imperial palace light lantern evening developed folk custom another likely origin celebration declining darkness winter community ability move night humanmade light namely lantern han dynasty festival connected ti yin deity north star one legend state time worship taiyi god heaven ancient time belief taiyi controlled destiny human world sixteen dragon beck call decided inflict drought storm famine pestilence upon human being beginning qin shi huang first emperor china emperor ordered splendid ceremony year emperor would ask taiyi bring favorable weather good health people emperor wu han dynasty directed special attention event bc proclaimed one important celebration ceremony would last throughout night another legend associate lantern festival taoism tianguan taoist deity responsible good fortune birthday fall fifteenth day first lunisolar month said tianguan like type entertainment follower prepare various kind activity pray good fortune another legend associate lantern festival ancient warrior named lan moon led rebellion tyrannical king ancient china killed storming city successful rebel commemorated festival name yet another common legend dealing origin lantern festival speaks beautiful crane flew earth heaven landed earth hunted killed villager angered jade emperor heaven crane favorite planned storm fire destroy village fifteenth lunisolar day jade emperor daughter warned inhabitant father plan destroy village village turmoil nobody knew could escape imminent destruction however wise man another village suggested every family hang red lantern around house set bonfire street explode firecracker fourteenth fifteenth sixteenth lunisolar day would give village appearance fire jade emperor fifteenth lunisolar day troop sent heaven whose mission destroy village saw village already ablaze returned heaven report jade emperor satisfied jade emperor decided burn village day people celebrate anniversary fifteenth lunisolar day every year carrying lantern street exploding firecracker firework another legend origin lantern festival involves maid named yuanxiao han dynasty dongfang shuo favorite adviser emperor one winter day went garden heard little girl cry getting ready jump well commit suicide shuo stopped asked said yuanxiao maid emperor palace never chance see family since started working could chance show filial piety life would rather die shuo promised find way reunite family shuo left palace set fortunetelling stall street due reputation many people asked fortune told everyone got prediction – calamitous fire fifteenth lunisolar day rumor spread quickly everyone worried future asked dongfang shuo help dongfang shuo said thirteenth lunisolar day god fire would send fairy red riding black horse burn city people saw fairy ask mercy day yuanxiao pretended red fairy people asked help said copy decree god fire taken emperor left people went palace show emperor decree stated capital city would burn fifteenth emperor asked dongfang shuo advice latter said god fire liked eat tangyuan sweet dumpling yuanxiao cook tangyuan fifteenth lunisolar day emperor order every house prepare tangyuan worship god fire time also every house city hang red lantern explode fire cracker lastly everyone palace people outside city carry lantern street watch lantern decoration firework jade emperor would deceived everyone would avoid disastrous fire emperor happily followed plan lantern everywhere capital city night fifteenth lunisolar day people walking street noisy firecracker looked entire city fire yuanxiaos parent went palace watch lantern decoration reunited daughter emperor decreed people thing every year since yuanxiao cooked best tangyuan people called day yuanxiao festival festival celebrated switch chinese zodiac take place example —the year tiger —the year rabbit water rabbit early day young people chaperoned street hope finding love matchmaker acted busily hope pairing couple brightest lantern symbolic good luck hope time passed festival longer implication mainland china taiwan hong kong eaten lantern festival tangyuan 湯圓 southern china taiwan southeast asia yuanxiao 元宵 northern china glutinous rice ball typically filled sweet red bean paste sesame paste peanut butter tangyuan different yuanxiao due different manual making filling process boiled fried steamed independent taste however similar shape taste people distinguish convenience consider thing chinese people believe round shape ball bowl served symbolize family togetherness eating tangyuan yuanxiao may bring family harmony happiness luck new year sui dynasty sixth century emperor yang invited envoy country china see colourful lighted lantern enjoy gala performance beginning tang dynasty seventh century lantern display would last three day emperor also lifted curfew allowing people enjoy festive lantern day night difficult find chinese poem describe happy scene song dynasty festival celebrated five day activity began spread many big city china today displaying lantern still major event fifteenth day first lunisolar month throughout china chengdu southwest china sichuan province example hold lantern fair year culture park lantern festival park virtual ocean lantern many new design attract large number visitor eyecatching lantern dragon pole lantern shape golden dragon spiraling meterhigh pole spewing firework mouth city hangzhou shanghai adopted electric neon lantern often seen beside traditional paper wooden counterpart another popular activity festival guessing lantern riddle tradition date back song dynasty lion dance 舞獅 walk stilt 踩高蹺 riddle game 猜燈謎 dragon dance 耍龍燈 popular activity festival day day following lantern riddle according japanese scholar became popular early northern song dynasty – lantern riddle done host blocking one side lantern pasting riddle remaining three side lantern participant guess blocked side solving riddle called breakingsolving lantern riddle theme riddle drawn classic biography poetry various philosopher wellknown story novel proverb name kind bird animal insect well flower grass vegetable herb participant tear riddle lantern let host verify answer answer correct answer get riddle reward including ink paper writing brush ink slab fan perfumed sachet fruit eatable daeboreum korean festival day sagichō fire festival japanese shintoist festival held january bon festival japanese buddhist festival held august festival light disambiguation list various festival associated light th shevat new year tree hebrew calendar lantern festival