TheLanternFestivalfallsonthe15thdayofthe1stlunarmonth,usuallyinFebruaryorMarchintheGregoriancalendar.AsearlyastheWesternHanDynasty(206BC-AD25),ithadbecomeafestivalwithgreatsignificance.Thisday'simportantactivityiswatchinglanterns.ThroughouttheHanDynasty(206BC-AD220),BuddhismflourishedinChina.OneemperorheardthatBuddhistmonkswouldwatchsarira,orremainsfromthecremationofBuddha'sbody,andlightlanternstoworshipBuddhaonthe15thdayofthe1stlunarmonth,soheorderedtolightlanternsintheimperialpalaceandtemplestoshowrespecttoBuddhaonthisday.Later,theBuddhistritedevelopedintoagrandfestivalamongcommonpeopleanditsinfluenceexpandedfromtheCentralPlainstothewholeofChina.
Tilltoday,thelanternfestivalisstillheldeachyeararoundthecountry.Lanternsofvariousshapesandsizesarehunginthestreets,attractingcountlessvisitors.Childrenwillholdself-madeorboughtlanternstostrollwithonthestreets,extremelyexcited."Guessinglanternriddles"isanessentialpartoftheFestival.Lanternownerswriteriddlesonapieceofpaperandpostthemonthelanterns.Ifvisitorshavesolutionstotheriddles,theycanpullthepaperoutandgotothelanternownerstochecktheiranswer.Iftheyareright,theywillgetalittlegift.Theactivityemergedduringpeople'senjoymentoflanternsintheSongDynasty(960-1279).Asriddleguessingisinterestingandfullofwisdom,ithasbecomepopularamongallsocialstrata.
Peoplewilleatyuanxiao,orricedumplings,onthisday,soitisalsocalledthe"YuanxiaoFestival."Yuanxiaoalsohasanothername,tangyuan.Itissmalldumplingballsmadeofglutinousriceflourwithrosepetals,sesame,beanpaste,jujubepaste,walnutmeat,driedfruit,sugarandedibleoilasfilling.Tangyuancanbeboiled,friedorsteamed.Ittastessweetanddelicious.What’smore,tangyuaninChinesehasasimilarpronunciationwith"tuanyuan”,meaningreunion.Sopeopleeatthemtodenoteunion,harmonyandhappinessforthefamily.
InthedaytimeoftheFestival,performancessuchasadragonlanterndance,aliondance,alandboatdance,ayanggedance,walkingonstiltsandbeatingdrumswhiledancingwillbestaged.Onthenight,exceptformagnificentlanterns,fireworksformabeautifulscene.MostfamiliessparesomefireworksfromtheSpringFestivalandletthemoffintheLanternFestival.Somelocalgovernmentswillevenorganizeafireworksparty.OnthenightwhenthefirstfullmoonenterstheNewYear,peoplebecomereallyintoxicatedbytheimposingfireworksandbrightmooninthesky.
