The 15th day of the first lunar month is the tradiontal Lantern Festival(Yuanxiao Jie in Chinese).Yuanxiao comes from the fact that the first lunar month is also called the Yuan month and Xiao means night.The night of of the 15th day of the first lunar month marks the appearance of the first full moon.On the Lantern Festival,the Chinese people have the custom of enjoying lanterns and eating glutinous rice dumplings.There is a common saying that “Playing on the Lantern Festival”
The custom of enjoying lanterns on the festival started during the Han Dynasty,and has a history of more than 2 000 years.On that night,every place is decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers and there is a bustling atmosphere.As night falls,people go in crowds to enjoy colorful lanterns,revolving horse lanterns,animal lanterns,and toy lanterns ,of all hues and colors,forming a sea of flickering light and color.Some lanterns have riddles on them,which encourage people to strive to be the first to find the answer.
It is also a traditional custom to eat glutinous rice dumplings at this time,As early as the Song Dynasty(960-1279).there was such a kind of food.It is a round ball made of glutinous rice flour with a filling of sugar and kernels.When it is boiled,it is very savory,and tasty.Since it is eaten on the Lantern Festival,people call it yuanxiao.” The Chinese people hope that everything is satisfactory(yuanman in Chinese),and to eat glutinous rice dumplings on the first night with a full moon in a year is to wish that family members will remain united,harmonious,happy and satisfied.
