Chinese New Year 2024: What is Lantern Festival and how is it celebrated?
During the Lantern Festival, also known as Shangyuan Festival, houses are decorated with vibrant lanterns, with riddles written on them.
On the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar's first month (Yuan), people in China and other Asian nations, including Vietnam and Korea, celebrate the Lantern Festival, a holiday honoring their departed ancestors.
The main objective of celebrating the Lantern Festival is to encourage forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation. This day marks the first full Moon of the new lunar year and the conclusion of the Chinese New Year.
During the Lantern Festival, also known as Floating Lanterns Festival or Shangyuan Festival, houses are decorated with vibrant lanterns, with riddles written on them. The first person to solve the riddle wins a gift. Known as ‘yuanxiao’ or ‘tangyuan’, the little balls of sticky rice stuffed with fruits and nuts are consumed throughout the celebration. The balls' rounded shapes stand for the family's oneness and wholeness.
Every year, the event lasts for 15 days, starting on the new moon that falls between January 21 and February 20 on Western calendars.
Also Read: History of Chinese New Year celebrations in China
History of Lantern Festival
The origins of the Lantern Festival can be traced back to over 2,000 years ago. The festival's inception can be linked to Emperor Ming's rule over the Han dynasty, which happened at the same time when Buddhism spread throughout China. A patron of Buddhism, Emperor Ming observed the festival by lighting lanterns in temples. He then directed countrymen to follow the suit, which gradually became a common tradition.
There is an alternative version regarding the festival's origins that traces it back to the Han era when Ti Yin, the North Star deity, was said to be involved. Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty was very mindful of this day. He declared it one of the most important festivities in 104 BC and that the ceremony would last all night.
Significance of Lantern Festival
China observes the Lantern Festival to keep friends and families intact together. During the festival, kids carry paper lanterns and solve riddles written on them. The lanterns' lighting could stand for people letting go of the past and starting a new year with hope and optimism. Usually, the lanterns are red to symbolize abundance.
The Year of the Dragon
Based on the lunar calendar, the Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao, is a recurring 12-year cycle of animal signs and their characteristics.
The Lunar New Year marks the transition from one animal to another -- like the year of the Rabbit started on January 22, 2023 and concluded on February 9, 2024. Likewise, the Year of the Dragon, which last occurred in 2012, begins on February 10.
Lantern Festival preparations and celebrations
Ahead of the Lantern Festival, houses are meticulously cleaned to ward off any ill luck from the previous year. People are also advised to pay off any debts before the start of the new year.
Buying new clothes and hanging spring festival couplets on windows or doors are also part of customs associated with the Lunar New Year.
People also clean their ancestors' tombs on New Year's Eve. The large family reunion dinner begins after hanging of red lanterns and Spring Festival couplets. This banquet is said to be the year's most significant feast as families enjoy sharing scrumptious and auspicious meals together.
The little red envelopes with money inside, known in Mandarin as "hong bao," are given as lucky charms to coworkers, friends, family, and children. Red is a color connected to vitality, happiness, and good fortune in Chinese culture.
