History

• The Lantern Festival is also called Yuanxiao, from the Chinese words Yuan—meaning the first lunar month—and xiao, which means night. The exact beginnings of the festival are lost to antiquity, going back as they do more than 2,000 years. According to the online resource “Chinese Pulse,” there are many legends regarding the origins of the Lantern festival. They include worship of the ancient god Taiyi, a birthday celebration for a Taoist god and a Buddhist custom of lighting lanterns on the night of the first full moon of the year to commemorate the cremation of Buddha. An devout Buddhist emperor during the Han Dynasty ordered that all palaces and shrines be lit with lanterns on this night. The tradition spread to the common people and the festival was born.
  
  

Significance

• The Lantern Festival is considered by the Chinese people to be a time to make a fresh start. Bills are settled, wrongs are forgiven and homes and businesses are thoroughly cleaned to begin the year anew. It is a time to be spent with family and friends. Some people exchange gifts the night of the Lantern Festival and some wear only new clothing that day according to the website of the Chinese American Museum.
  
  

Chinese Valentine's Day

• In ancient days, the day of the Lantern Festival was the one day an unmarried Chinese woman could go out in public—well chaperoned, of course—where she could be seen by unmarried men. The celebration of family became a celebration of lovers too. It's popular for couples to stroll quietly together enjoying the lanterns, flirting and playing matchmaking games. Risa Harada of the online resource chssc.org describes a game called The Hunting Dance. Three dozen young women dance in a circle around a bonfire while three dozen young men dance around them. The women pose as various animals while the men pretend to "hunt" them.
  
  

Lanterns

• Of course the primary characteristic of the Lantern Festival is the lanterns themselves. Paper lanterns are hung in every home, business, market and temple. They line the sidewalks or cover the streets themselves like a canopy. They are given as gifts—often with inscriptions on them meant to bring luck to the recipients—and come in shapes ranging from the traditional hanging round ball to depictions of dragons, temples and other fantastic creations that are big enough to walk through. These colorful lanterns are lit from the inside and illuminate the entire Festival.
  
  

Foods and Entertainment

• Tangyuan, rice dumplings served with syrup, are traditionally made and served during the Lantern Festival. The word tangyuan sounds like the word tuanyuan, which means “reunion,” so these dumplings are considered to be fitting for a family feast. After eating, celebrants may watch fireworks, drumming exhibitions or a Dragon dance. It's also a popular to solve the riddles or puzzles that are written on many of the lanterns decorating the street.