What is the origin and development of lanterns?

Origin and Development of Lanterns:

Origin of Lanterns

Chinese lanterns are also collectively known as lanterns, traditional Han crafts, originating more than 1,800 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty, every year before and after the Spring Festival on the lunar calendar, the 15th day of the first month of the Lantern Festival, people have hung up the symbol of the significance of reunion of the red lanterns, to create an auspicious and festive to create an auspicious and festive atmosphere. Later, the lantern became a symbol of joy for Chinese people.

Development of lanterns

Through generations of lantern artists inheritance and development, the formation of colorful varieties and high level of craftsmanship. From the types: palace lanterns, gauze lanterns, chandeliers and so on. From the stylistic points, there are figures, landscapes, birds and flowers, dragons and phoenixes, fish and insects, etc., in addition to the horse lanterns for people to enjoy.

Legend of lanterns

There is another interesting story about the origin of lanterns in Chinese New Year. Legend has it that a long time ago, a god bird landed on earth because it was lost, but was shot dead by an unknowing hunter. The emperor was furious when he found out about it and ordered the heavenly soldiers to come to earth on the 15th day of the first lunar month to set fire to all human and animal properties on earth.

The daughter of the emperor was kind-hearted and could not bear to see the people suffer, so she secretly came to the earth and told the people the news. A clever man came up with a method, he told everyone to put up lights, light firecrackers and set off fireworks in their houses on the 14th, 15th and 16th days of the first month.

This way, the Heavenly Emperor would think that the heavenly soldiers had already set off the fire. On the night of the 15th day of the first month, the Heavenly Emperor looked down and found a red light on earth and loud noises, for 3 consecutive nights, and thought it was the flames from the burning fire and called it quits. In order to commemorate this success, from then on every first month of the fifteenth, every family hangs lanterns to commemorate this day.