Lantern Festival

1st Origin of Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival in China is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar, marking the last day of the lunar New Year celebration. It is also known as the Yuanxiao Festival .It officially ends the Chinese New Year celebrations.

1st Origin of Lantern Festival The Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty directed special attention to this event. He proclaimed it to be one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night. He demanded everyone should light their candles on that day. Because, he finally won the throne from his half-brother’s mother----Queen Lv, and he thought it should be memorized.

1st Origin of Lantern Festival A beautiful crane that flew down to earth from heaven. After it landed on earth it was hunted and killed by some villagers.

1st Origin of Lantern Festival 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 lunar day.

1st Origin of Lantern Festival The Jade Emperor's daughter secretly 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.

1st Origin of Lantern Festival 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 lunar days.

1st Origin of Lantern Festival On the fifteenth lunar 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.

1st Origin of Lantern Festival From that day on, people celebrate the anniversary on the fifteenth lunar day every year by carrying lanterns on the streets and exploding firecrackers and fireworks.

2nd Lantern Festival customs AS the first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night Xiao. And the moon is supposed to be full on lantern day. So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China.

2nd Lantern Festival customs 1 Eating Yuanxiao Yuanxiao is the special food for the Lantern Festival. It is believed that Yuanxiao is named after a palace maid, Yuanxiao, of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty. It is a kind of sweet dumpling, which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing. And the Festival is named after the famous dumpling. It is very easy to cook, simply dump them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes and eaten as a desert.

2nd Lantern Festival customs 2 Guessing lantern riddles “Guessing lantern riddles” is an essential part of the Festival. Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer. If they are right, they will get a little gift. The activity emerged during people's enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become popular among all social strata.

2nd Lantern Festival customs 3 Stilts-Walking Stilts which enjoys high popularity among the masses proves to be a skillful performance . Stilts ,belonging to one of the ancient Chinese BaiXi Art, has already emerged during the Spring and Autumn Times.

2nd Lantern Festival customs 4 Dragon lantern dance Chinese dragon is a totem of the Chinese nation ,we see the dragon as a symbol of good luck. Thus the activity of the Dragon Dance on 15th of August carries people's kind blessing of eliminating disasters and bringing good luck.

3rd The Poem of The Lantern Festival 生查子 元夕 （欧阳修） 去年元夜时，花市灯如昼。 月到柳梢头，人约黄昏后。 今年元夜时，月与灯依旧。 不见去年人，泪湿春衫袖。

The Lantern Festival 3rd The Poem of The Lantern Festival The lanterns brightened up the flowery Lantern Fair. We were in festive mood last year. The moon was hanging on the top of the willow tree. Dating after dark were you and me. Here comes this year’s full-moon’s day. The moon and the lanterns are the same. But， for my loved one who is gone. Tearfully I am searching in vain ！

The Lantern Festival Night 3rd The Poem of The Lantern Festival 元夕 （苏味道） 火树银花合，星桥铁锁开。 暗尘随马去，明月逐人来。 游妓皆秾李，行歌尽落梅。 金吾不禁夜，玉漏莫相催。 The Lantern Festival Night The light is brightly, tonight the no-go area is opening. The horse gallop that stirred up the dust, the moon seemed to follow the people. The young singing girls look more beautiful, they walk and sing songs. The capital guards does not work tonight, the drum will not urge the people back home.

3rd The Poem of The Lantern Festival 青玉案·元夕 （辛弃疾） 东风夜放花千树，更吹落，星如雨。 宝马雕车香满路，凤萧声动，玉壶光转，一夜鱼龙舞。 蛾儿雪柳黄金缕，笑语盈盈暗香去。 众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首， 那人却在，灯火阑珊处。

The Lantern Festival Night 3rd The Poem of The Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival Night One night's east wind adorns a thousand trees with flowers And blows down stars in showers. Fine steeds and carved cabs spread fragrance en route; Music vibrates from the flute; The moon sheds its full light While fish and dragon lanterns dance all night. In gold-thread dress, with moth or willow ornaments, Giggling, she melts into the throng with trails of scents But in the crowd once and again I look for her in vain. When all at once I turn my head, I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed.

Thank You！