The Lantern Festival (元宵节）

The15thdayofthe1stlunarmonthistheChineseLanternFestivalbecausethefirstlunarmonthiscalledyuan-monthandintheancienttimespeoplecallednightXiao.The15thdayisthefirstnighttoseeafullmoon.SothedayisalsocalledYuanXiaoFestivalinChina.

AccordingtotheChinesetradition,attheverybeginningofanewyear,whenthereisabrightfullmoonhanginginthesky,thereshouldbethousandsofcolorfullanternshungoutforpeopletoappreciate.Atthistime,peoplewilltrytosolvethepuzzlesonthelanternsandeatyuanxiao(glutinousriceball)andgetalltheirfamiliesunitedinthejoyfulatmosphere.

History

UntiltheSuiDynastyinthesixthcentury,EmperorYangdiinvitedenvoysfromothercountriestoChinatoseethecolorfullightedlanternsandenjoythegala（节日的，庆祝的）performances.

BythebeginningoftheTangDynastyintheseventhcentury,thelanterndisplayswouldlastthreedays.Theemperoralsoliftedthecurfew（宵禁令）,allowingthepeopletoenjoythefestivelanternsdayandnight.ItisnotdifficulttofindChinesepoemswhichdescribethishappyscene.

IntheSongDynasty,thefestivalwascelebratedforfivedaysandtheactivitiesbegantospreadtomanyofthebigcitiesinChina.Colorfulglassandevenjadewereusedtomakelanterns,withfiguresfromfolktalespaintedonthelanterns.

However,thelargestLanternFestivalcelebrationtookplaceintheearlypartofthe15thcentury.Thefestivitiescontinuedfortendays.EmperorChengzuhadthedowntownareasetasideasacenterfordisplayingthelanterns.Eventoday,thereisaplaceinBeijingcalledDengshikou.InChinese,DengmeanslanternandShiismarket.Theareabecameamarketwherelanternsweresoldduringtheday.Intheevening,thelocalpeoplewouldgotheretoseethebeautifullightedlanternsondisplay.

Today,thedisplayingoflanternsisstillabigeventonthe15thdayofthefirstlunarmonththroughoutChina.Peopleenjoythebrightlylitnight.ChengduinSouthwestChina’sSichuanProvince,forexample,holdsalanternfaireachyearintheCulturalPark.DuringtheLanternFestival,theparkisliterallyanoceanoflanterns!Manynewdesignsattractcountlessvisitors.Themosteye-catchinglanternistheDragonPole.Thisisalanternintheshapeofagoldendragon,spiralingupa27-meter-highpole,spewingfireworksfromitsmouth.Itisquiteanimpressivesight!

Origin

TherearemanydifferentbeliefsabouttheoriginoftheLanternFestival.Butonethingforsureisthatithadsomethingtodowithreligiousworship.

OnelegendtellsusthatitwasatimetoworshipTaiyi,theGodofHeaveninancienttimes.ThebeliefwasthattheGodofHeavencontrolledthedestinyofthehumanworld.Hehadsixteendragonsathisbeckandcallandhedecidedwhentoinflictdrought,storms,famineorpestilence（瘟疫）uponhumanbeings.BeginningwithQinshihuang,thefirstemperortounitethecountry,allsubsequentemperorsorderedsplendidceremonieseachyear.TheemperorwouldaskTaiyitobringfavorableweatherandgoodhealthtohimandhispeople.EmperorWudioftheHanDynastydirectedspecialattentiontothisevent.In104BC,heproclaimeditoneofthemostimportantcelebrationsandtheceremonywouldlastthroughoutthenight.

AnotherlegendassociatestheLanternFestivalwithTaoism.TianguanistheTaoistgodresponsibleforgoodfortune.Hisbirthdayfallsonthe15thdayofthefirstlunarmonth.ItissaidthatTianguanlikesalltypesofentertainment.Sofollowerspreparevariouskindsofactivitiesduringwhichtheyprayforgoodfortune.

Thethirdstoryabouttheoriginofthefestivalislikethis.BuddhismfirstenteredChinaduringthereignofEmperorMingdioftheEasternHanDynasty.Thatwasinthefirstcentury.However,itdidnotexertanygreatinfluenceamongtheChinesepeople.oneday,EmperorMingdihadadreamaboutagoldmaninhispalace.Attheverymomentwhenhewasabouttoaskthemysteriousfigurewhohewas,thegoldmansuddenlyrosetotheskyanddisappearedinthewest.Thenextday,EmperorMingdisentascholartoIndiaonapilgrimage（朝圣）tolocateBuddhistscriptures.Afterjourneyingthousandsofmiles,thescholarfinallyreturnedwiththescriptures.EmperorMingdiorderedthatatemplebebuilttohouseastatueofBuddhaandserveasarepositoryforthescriptures.FollowersbelievethatthepowerofBuddhacandispeldarkness.SoEmperorMingdiorderedhissubjectstodisplaylightedlanternsduringwhatwastobecometheLanternFestival.

Yuanxiao

Besidesentertainmentandbeautifullanterns,anotherimportantpartoftheLanternFestival,orYuanxiaoFestivaliseatingsmalldumplingballsmadeofglutinousriceflour.WecalltheseballsYuanxiaoorTangyuan.Obviously,theygetthenamefromthefestivalitself.ItissaidthatthecustomofeatingYuanxiaooriginatedduringtheEasternJinDynastyinthefourthcentuty,thenbecamepopularduringtheTangandSongperiods.

ThefillingsinsidethedumplingsorYuansiaoareeithersweetorsalty.Sweetfillingsaremadeofsugar,Walnuts（胡桃）,sesame,osmanthusflowers（桂花）,rosepetals,sweetenedtangerinepeel,beanpaste,orjujubepaste（枣泥）.Asingleingredientoranycombinationcanbeusedasthefilling.Thesaltyvarietyisfilledwithmincedmeat,vegetablesoramixture.

ThewaytomakeYuanxiaoalsovariesbetweennorthernandsouthernChina.Theusualmethodfollowedinsouthernprovincesistoshapethedoughofriceflourintoballs,makeahole,insertthefilling,thenclosetheholeandsmoothoutthedumplingbyrollingitbetweenyourhands.InNorthChina,sweetornonmeatstuffingistheusualingredient.Thefillingsarepressedintohardenedcores,dippedlightlyinwaterandrolledinaflatbasketcontainingdryglutinousriceflour.Alayeroftheflourstickstothefilling,whichisthenagaindippedinwaterandrolledasecondtimeinthericeflour.Andsoitgoes,likerollingasnowball,untilthedumplingisthedesiredsize.

ThecustomofeatingYuanxiaodumplingsremains.ThistraditionencouragesbotholdandnewstorestopromotetheirYuanxiaoproducts.Theyalltrytheirbesttoimprovethetasteandqualityofthedumplingstoattractmorecustomers