The Lantern Festival is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is the first full moon night of the Chinese New Year, symbolizing the arrival of spring. It is on February 24 for 2024. It is also called 上元節(siōng-guân-tsueh, Shangyuan festival)、元宵節(guân-siau-tsueh, Lantern Festival)、小正月(xiǎo zhēngyuè, Little New Year)、元夕(yuán xī)、小年(xiǎo nián)或燈節(dēngjié, Festival of lights)。It marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.
As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-CE 25), it had become a festival with great significance. During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns (提燈籠). People also enjoy solving riddles (猜燈謎), seeing lanterns ‘賞花燈’ and eating yuanxiao ‘元宵’ to celebrate the festival.
In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple. The lanterns are most red to symbolize good fortune. In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs. For example, lanterns are now often made in the shape of animals.
I remember when I was very little (more than 50 years ago) I would carry a paper lantern at night to meet with friends and we would walk around the neighborhood at night to celebrate the Lantern Festival. Paper lanterns are very fragile and flimsy. It was made with thin wire with thin paper looking like a sideway accordion. When the wind blows a little bit too strong or you don’t carry the lantern steadily, the lantern can be easily burned into ashes. It was a devastating thing to a little kid. To prevent the “tragedy”, some kids will use empty cans to make their own lantern which can last longer. Lanterns with bamboo frames are a more fancy version. Years later the plastic lanterns were used. We can go out less worried about burned lanterns.
I didn’t visit Taiwan often the first 20 years that I moved to the US. I didn’t remember many traditional activities for the Chinese New Year. When I visited Taiwan in 2011 around the Chinese New Year, I was so excited to see the special lantern exhibits. Since it was the year of the rabbit, there were many lanterns with the design of rabbits. There were also many lantern creations created by the elementary school students to high schoolers for the lantern design competitions. The performance platform was also built. The performers sang, danced or performed acrobatics to entertain people. Special solving riddles activities for the Lantern Festival also were played. You can feel the excitement and joy through the lively and bustling atmosphere. It was a fun night.
元宵節是中國的一個節日，在農曆正月十五日慶祝。 這是農曆新年的第一個月圓之夜，象徵春天的到來。今年的元宵節是 2024 年 2 月 24日。又稱上元節、元宵節、小正月、元夕、小年或燈節。它標誌著中國傳統新年慶祝活動的最後一天。
早在西漢時期（西元前 206 年 - 西元 25 年），元宵節就已成為一個重要的節日。元宵節期間，孩子們晚上提著燈籠出去。人們也喜歡猜燈謎、賞花燈、吃元宵來慶祝節日。
在古代，燈籠相當簡單。燈籠大多是紅色的，象徵吉祥。在現代，燈籠被裝飾有許多複雜的圖案。例如，燈籠現在經常被製成動物的形狀。
我記得我很小的時候（50多年前），我會在晚上提著紙燈籠與朋友一起四處遊逛慶祝元宵節。紙燈籠非常脆弱，它是用細鐵絲和薄紙製成的，看起來像個側向的手風琴。當風吹太大或提燈不穩時，燈籠很容易被燒成灰。這對小孩來說是很厭煩的事情。為了防止「悲劇」發生，有些孩子會用空罐頭製作自己的燈籠，這樣可以保存得更久。帶有竹框的燈籠是更精美的版本。幾年後，有了塑膠燈籠，我們出去就不擔心燈籠被燒毀了。
在我搬到美國的頭 20 年裡，我不常回台灣。我不記得許多過年的傳統活動。2011年農曆新年期間我回台灣時，看到特別的燈籠展覽非常興奮。由於那年是兔年，所以有很多帶有兔子圖案的燈籠。燈籠設計比賽中，還有許多從小學生到高中生創作的燈籠作品。舞台也搭建起來。表演者唱歌、跳舞或表演雜技來娛樂人們。也有元宵節專題猜燈謎活動。在熱鬧的氣氛中，你可以感受到過節地興奮和歡樂。
Yuanxiao ‘元宵’ is a glutinous rice ball typically filled with sweet red bean paste, sesame paste, or peanut butter. The Chinese people believe that the round shape of the balls and the bowls in which they are served symbolize family togetherness, and that eating yuanxiao may bring the family harmony, happiness and luck in the new year. You can see some of the pictures that people created using yuanxiao to send blessings to friends and families.
元宵是糯米糰，裡面通常包甜豆沙、芝麻或花生。中國人相信，圓圓的丸子和盛著它們的碗象徵著家庭團聚，吃元宵可以帶來新的一年家庭和睦、幸福和好運。 你可以看到一些人們用元宵創作的圖畫，向親朋好友送上祝福。
There are several beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival. However, its roots trace back more than 2,000 years ago and is popularly linked to the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty at the time when Buddhism was growing in China. Emperor Ming, an advocate of Buddhism, ordered all households, temples and the imperial palace to light lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. There are several legends recorded in Wikipedia. I won’t introduce them here.
關於元宵節的起源有許多說法。它的根源可以追溯到兩千多年前，一般人認為它與佛教在中國發展的漢明帝統治時期有關。崇尚佛教的明帝下令各戶、寺廟、皇宮在正月十五點燈。維基百科上記載了幾個傳說。我在這裡就不介紹了。
In recent years there are companies to construct and design the lanterns to showcase the special and magical lantern arts in several areas in the US. We went to see one in the LA Arboretum in 2018.
近年來，美國多個地區都有公司建造和設計燈籠，展示特殊而神奇的燈籠藝術。2018 年，我們去洛杉磯植物園看了一個展覽。
Setting off sky lanterns has over a couple of hundred years of history. But setting off sky lanterns (放天燈) might be a celebration activity for the Lantern Festival developed more recently. I don’t remember having seen it when I was young. People write their wishes on sky lanterns to pray for peace and everything going well for the coming New Year. The higher lanterns fly and the luckier you will be. And the scenery of sky lanterns flying is really beautiful. My friend shares a video of setting off sky lanterns. I grab some screenshots to show you how beautiful they are.
放天燈已有數百年的歷史。但放天燈可能是最近發展的元宵節慶祝活動。我不記得小時候見過它。人們在天燈上寫下心願，祈求新的一年平安、萬事如意。燈籠飛得越高，你就越幸運。而且天燈飛舞的景色真的很美。我的朋友分享了一個放天燈的影片。我抓了一些截圖來讓你們看看它們的美麗。
XYZ/Inspirational Posts 其它雜類或勵志帖子
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Lantern Festival
- 維基百科: 元宵節