China lantern how to#
China lantern full#

Here are some of the top things to do during the Chinese Lantern Festival, no matter where you are in China. With various origin stories and ways to commemorate the occasion, you may be wondering how the Lantern Festival is celebrated.

China lantern how to#

How to celebrate the Chinese Lantern Festival The festival also has religious aspects that are significant to Buddhists.įor these reasons and more, it’s easy to see why the Chinese Lantern Festival means a lot to those who celebrate it. In fact, the shape of the rice balls eaten during this time symbolize unity amongst family members. It is also a time of promoting peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and, of course, celebration.

China lantern full#

To start, it marks the first full moon of the lunar calendar as well as the start of spring. The festival is important for a few reasons. While there are several versions of the Chinese Lantern Festival history, what is agreed on is that the festival has been around for thousands of years. Why is the Chinese Lantern Festival celebrated? Once the festival is over, Chinese New Year taboos no longer apply and all CNY decorations are taken down. To celebrate, people gather to watch dragon and lion dances, eat Tang Yuan/Yuan Xiao (sweet rice balls in soup), and enjoy the fireworks. The lanterns symbolize letting go of the year that has passed and welcoming the new year with good fortune. Colorful lanterns line the streets, which often have riddles written on them. The night of the Chinese Lantern Festival is a beautiful sight to see in many parts of China. To remember this, think of the significance of the Chinese Lantern Festival as the final day of the 15-day long Chinese New Year celebrations and the start of the spring season. It’s worth noting that the festival is not to be confused with other lantern festivals, such as those that typically occur in Autumn (like the Mid-Autumn Festival). In any given year, the festival falls between February 4th and March 6th. The Chinese Lantern Festival in 2022 falls on Tuesday, February 15th. Also known as the Spring Lantern Festival, the occasion marks the end of the Spring Festival (or Chinese New Year) period.

It is celebrated two weeks after Chinese New Year and marks the first full moon of the year. The Chinese Lantern Festival takes place on the 15th day of the first lunar month.