What is the origin of Lantern Festival?

Origin of Lantern Festival: Ancient people used torches to exorcise evil spirits during festivals. This festival is dedicated to the gods. Because it is held at night, it needs to be lit with a torch. Later it gradually evolved into the Lantern Festival.

During the Yongping period of Han Dynasty (AD 58-75), when Ming Chengzu advocated Buddhism, it happened that Cai Cheng returned from India to seek Buddhism, saying that it was the fifteenth day of the first month of Mohato, India, and monks gathered to pay tribute to the relics, which was an auspicious day to participate in Buddhism.

In order to promote Buddhism, Emperor Hanming ordered "burning lamps to show Buddha" in palaces and temples on the fifteenth night of the first month. Since then, the custom of putting lights on the Lantern Festival has spread from being held only in the court to the people. That is, on the fifteenth day of the first month, both the gentry and the people hang up lights, and the urban and rural areas are brightly lit all night.

The customs of Lantern Festival are:

1, eat Yuanxiao.

It is a traditional custom in China to eat "Yuanxiao" on the Lantern Festival. Yuanxiao, also known as Tangyuan, has a long history as a food in China. Yuanxiao is filled with white sugar, rose, sesame, red bean paste, osmanthus fragrans, walnut kernel, nuts and jujube paste, and wrapped in glutinous rice flour into a round shape, which can be both meat and vegetarian with different flavors.

2. Set off fireworks.

In China, setting off fireworks is an indispensable activity to celebrate festivals, and the Lantern Festival is no exception. When colorful fireworks shoot into the sky, the night sky suddenly becomes dazzling, and the ground and the ground of the fire tree and silver flowers form a beautiful picture, which is one of the favorite programs for people to watch during the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month.

3. Lion dance.

The Chinese nation advocates dragons and regards them as auspicious symbols. Lion dance is an excellent folk art in China. Whenever the Lantern Festival or the celebration of the General Assembly, people always come to the lion dance to add fun. It is said that lion dance is very popular in the south. This custom originated in the Three Kingdoms period and was popular in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has a history of 1000 years.