Why hang lanterns on Lantern Festival?

Why hang lanterns on the Lantern Festival?

Why hang lanterns at the Lantern Festival

The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, the ancients called the night for the "night", so the first month of the fifteenth for the Lantern Festival. The 15th day of the first month is the first full moon of the year, but also the beginning of the year, the night of the earth back to spring, people celebrate this, but also to celebrate the continuation of the New Year. The Lantern Festival is also known as the "on the Yuan Festival".

According to Chinese folk tradition, in this day on the night of the white moon, people have to point up ten thousand colored lanterns, to show the celebration. Going out to enjoy the moon, burning lanterns and fireworks, guessing lantern riddles, *** eating Lantern Festival, family reunion, celebrating the festival, a happy and harmonious.

The Lantern Festival is also known as the Festival of Lights, Lantern Lights custom from the Han Dynasty, to the Tang Dynasty, more prosperous light-appreciation activities, the palace, hanging lights everywhere on the street, but also to establish a tall light wheel, light building and light tree, the Tang Dynasty poet Lu Zhaolin had in the "fifteenth night to watch the lights," which describes the Lantern Festival Lanterns pomp "catching the Han suspected star, according to the building seems to be hanging moon. "

Why is the Lantern Festival called Lantern Festival, why lanterns

The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, the ancients called the night for the "night", so the first full-moon night of the year on the fifteenth day of the first month is called the Lantern Festival.

The origin of the lanterns:

It is said that when Jiang Taigong sealed the gods, other people are sealed, is to forget to seal their own, they do not have a seat had to sit with God.

Lanterns are related to God, so they are also given a lot of symbolism.

In ancient times, people in order to expel the fear of darkness, so lanterns derived from the meaning of exorcism and pray for light.

In Minnan language, "lamp" and "ding" are similar in pronunciation, so lanterns are also used to pray for children, to seek success, and to avoid evil spirits and peace.

There is a kind of "bright light", at the end and beginning of the year, the lantern is placed in the temple, by the Buddha's law to get a year of peace and prosperity.

Farmers in the fields, long bamboo poles hung on a lamp "shine field silkworms", to observe the color of the fire to predict the year's water and drought conditions, with a view to a good year.

Why Lantern Festival Lantern Festival to appreciate the lanterns, eat Lantern

Lantern Festival Introduction: Every year on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the Spring Festival has just passed, ushered in is a traditional Chinese festival - Lantern Festival. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, the ancients called the night for the "night", so the first month of the fifteenth for the Lantern Festival. The fifteenth day of the first month is the first full moon of the year, but also the night of the beginning of the year, the earth back to spring, people celebrate this, but also to celebrate ...

Eat Lantern: there is a reunion of the meaning of the reunion, to the symbol of the hot fire, the reunion of the round

Lantern: there is a bright and Timing of the meaning of the lighting of the lamps have brightened up the future

Guessing Lantern Riddles: the Lantern Festival is also a romantic festival, the Lantern Festival in the feudal and traditional societies, and also give unmarried men and women to meet each other to provide an opportunity to the traditional society, the traditional society of young girls are not allowed to go out to free time, the traditional society of young girls are not allowed to go out and free time, the traditional society of young girls is not allowed to go out to free time. Girls are not allowed to go out for free activities, but the festival can be accompanied out to play, Lantern Festival Lantern Festival is an opportunity for friendship, unmarried men and women through the Lantern Festival can also be by the way for their own objects. During the Lantern Festival, it is also a time for young men and women to meet their lovers.

Why do we make lanterns at the Lantern Festival?

Origin

The custom of making lanterns began in the Western Han Dynasty and flourished in the Sui and Tang dynasties. After the Sui and Tang dynasties, the wind of lanterns prevailed and was inherited and passed on to later generations. According to the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha was cremated after his death, and the relics he received were put in exquisite jars and placed on a golden bed. Buddhist disciples scatter flowers and play music at the same time, and light a lamp every step around the city as a token of mourning for Rudraksha. Therefore, the creation of the custom of haunting lanterns is mainly related to the spread of Buddhism.

Significance

"Taiping Yulan" recorded "on the 15th day of the first month, the Han family sacrificed to Taiyi, to dusk to Ming". Every year on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar in the must end of the night lighting, urban and rural lights, the scholarly public, all hanging lights. So the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival was initially meant to worship the most honored of the gods in the sky, Taichi God. With the changes of the times, now we also inherited the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival tradition, but more for the Lantern Festival festive atmosphere and Lantern symbolizes a bright and inherited from generation to generation. So every year on the 15th day of the first month of the Lantern Festival, it is a festival of lanterns and fireworks ***. To the night of the Lantern Festival, the streets and alleys, a variety of red lanterns hanging high, attracting the masses to watch the lanterns.

Why do you want to see lanterns on the Lantern Festival?

The Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, also known as the Festival of Lights and the Shangyuan Festival, is a time when lanterns are hung in every house and appreciated by everyone. On the origin of the Lantern Festival, there is a very twisted and moving legend.

When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a resourceful, witty and comical Dongfang Shuo, whom Emperor Wu trusted. The palace doors were tight, but he could go in and out at will to please the emperor at any time. He had a casual appearance and a kind heart, and often pleaded with Emperor Wu for the colorful women in the palace.

This year, the waxing moon, a few days of snow, Dongfang Shuo went to the Royal Garden to the Emperor to fold a few plum blossoms, suddenly saw a courtesan crying to play in the moon pool jumped, panicked forward to pull. Asked carefully, her name is Yuan Xiao, living in the hills outside Chang'an, home and parents, sister, after entering the palace and never seen them again. Every festive season is doubly homesick, the last few days of wind and snow, sad, want to meet with their families, but also afraid of Emperor Wu did not allow. I think, it is better to die, and then meet with my parents in the Yellow Springs.

Dongfang Shuo comforted her and promised to try to reunite her with her family. He went out of the palace, away from Chang'an, to the home of the Lantern so and so arranged, and then returned to Chang'an, in the street to sell gossip. People have long admired the great name of Dongfang Shuo, scrambling to come to ask for divination, get are "the sixteenth day of the first month of the fire burning body" of the trigrams. The people were shocked and asked for advice on how to get rid of it. Dongfang Shuo said solemnly, "On the 13th day of the first month, the Fire God will come to Chang'an to inspect the terrain, so you can go to the big intersection ten miles northwest of the city and wait. When the day comes (about 1:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon), a girl in red riding a red donkey will come over, and she will be the Fire Goddess who is ordered to burn Chang'an. If you go and stop the road and cry, you may be saved."

People heard, each other string, about to invite some more people, to go to the Ten Mile Shop Avenue waiting. New Year's thirteen not yet, the fruit from the northwest direction over a red donkey riding a woman in red, the people rushed forward to beg. The girl said: "I was ordered to burn Chang'an, the Jade Emperor will personally stand at the South Heavenly Gate to see. Since you beg for mercy, I will give you the transcribed gathas, which can let the Emperor think of a way."

The people took the red sticker given by the Fire Goddess and returned to Chang'an to kneel before the Noon Gate to offer it to the Emperor. Emperor Wu of Han took the red sticker passed in by his guards and saw four verses written on it, "Chang'an is in the midst of a robbery, fire burns the Imperial Palace, sixteen heavenly fires, flames of red curfew." Emperor Wu looked scared out of his wits, and asked Dongfang Shuo to discuss ways to cope with the situation. Dongfang Shuo reported: "I heard that the fire god king's favorite food dumplings, the palace of the Lantern made a handful of good dumplings, the fire god king will also know. Your Majesty can let the Lantern make dumplings to offer to the God of Heaven on the 15th night, and then spread the word that all the people in the city will make dumplings to honor the Fire Goddess who is coming over Chang'an, so I think she will soften her heart and stop setting fires. At the same time, you will order the people of the capital to make lanterns, and hang red lanterns on the 15th and 16th nights in the streets and alleys, and in the houses and courtyards, so that from the sky it will look as if there is a big fire all over the city, and in this way, the Jade Emperor, who is at the South Heavenly Gate, will be deceived. In addition, then order the subjects outside the city to enter the city at that time to watch the lanterns, the emperor and the empress, consorts, courtesans, scattered in the crowd to go to the street to enjoy the lanterns, to drive away the disaster to solve the problem."

Emperor Wu was overjoyed and acted according to his words. On the fifteenth day of the first month, the sun just hangs down to the western sky, people have already put up lights and colorful preparations. Emperor Wu took the Empress, consort, all wearing civilian clothes, in a few also wearing civilian clothes close ministers and guards under the protection of the crowd to go to the street to watch the lights. Palace maids and eunuchs also went to the street in twos and threes. Early lanterns, ten thousand lights competing for glory, a variety of fire umbrellas, fire horse, rotor lotus, flower tube, cannon hit the four doors, fire dragons swinging and other lanterns to present strange color, quite spectacular. Lantern's sister led her parents also came to Chang'an to see the lanterns, when she saw the words written "Lantern" large lantern, busy sister's name. Yuanxiao early waiting here, see parents sister really came, busy jumping on the mother. The first time I saw this was when I was in the middle of the night, when I was in the middle of the night, when I was in the middle of the night.

The fifteenth night passed peacefully, and the sixteenth night passed peacefully, and Yuanxiao was reunited with her relatives for two nights, and her mood was very gratifying. Due to the efforts of Dongfang Shuo, people celebrated the Festival of Lights every first month of the year afterward, and it gradually spread to all over the world. This festival started because of the Lantern Festival, so it is called "Lantern Festival". And because the Lantern Festival to eat dumplings, dumplings to the Lantern to do the best, so also known as "Lantern".

Why Lantern Festival lanterns

There are various versions of the origin of the lanterns on the 15th day of the first month:

First, hanging lanterns to confuse the Jade Emperor

Legend has it that a long time ago, the hunter mistakenly shot a god bird. The emperor was very angry, and ordered the heavenly soldiers and generals to come to earth on the 15th day of the first month to set fire to all beings. The daughter of the emperor could not bear the suffering of innocent people, secretly passed the message to the earth. People do not know how to deal with, fortunately, an old man came up with a method, the day of the first month of the fifteenth, every household lights, firecrackers, fireworks to confuse the emperor.

The people to plan and execute, the first month of the fifteenth night, the emperor saw a red light on earth, the sound of the sky, thought it was burning fire, no longer pursued. On the 15th day of the first month, the custom of hanging lanterns and setting off fireworks came into being.

Second, the Han Ming Emperor burned the lamp table Buddha

Han Ming Emperor advocated Buddhism. Hearing that every first month of the fifteenth day of India, the monks gathered to see the Buddha's relics, is an auspicious time to participate in the Buddha, the Han Ming Emperor ordered the fifteenth night of the first month of the night, in the palace and the temple "lamps to show the Buddha" to promote Buddhism,

Later, the Lantern Lantern custom by the court to the people.

Third, the lanterns and colors, celebrate the same day

Legend has it that, after the death of Liu Bang, Gaozu of Han, Empress Lu was in charge of the dynasty, cultivating the Lu family, persecution of the loyal and virtuous, the court court officials, Liu's family dared to speak.

After the death of Empress Lu, the Lu clan, fearing that they would be ostracized and retaliated against, plotted to rebel and take over the Han dynasty. Liu's clan joined forces with ministers who were loyal to the Han Dynasty to quell the "Rebellion of the Lüs".

After the rebellion, Emperor Wen was crowned emperor of the Han Dynasty. In order to commemorate this historic day, Emperor Wen Di designated the 15th day of the first month, the day of the quelling of the "Lü's Rebellion", as the "Day of Joy with the People", and celebrated it with lanterns and colors in every house.

Fourth, Dongfang Shuo offer to save people

Legend has it that Dongfang Shuo astronomy and geography know everything, kind and witty, humor and fun.

Once, Dongfang Shuo inadvertently saved the life of a courtesan who committed suicide in despair because she missed her parents but could not see them. In order to help this courtesan, Dongfang Shuo designed to make Emperor Wu of Han believe that on the fifteenth day of the first month, the heavens will burn Chang'an. To avoid this disaster, the whole city must be hung with lanterns, and firecrackers and fireworks must be lit all over the city, as if the city is on fire, in order to hide it from the Jade Emperor.

Emperor Wu passed the order to implement according to the method of Dongfang Shuo, the courtesan was able to meet with her family in the chaos, and the city of Chang'an was safe and sound. Emperor Wu was so happy that he ordered to do so every year on the 15th day of the first month.

The night of the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, is the traditional Chinese folk celebration of the Lantern Festival, also known as Yuanxi, Yuanyi, also known as the Shangyuan Festival, because it is the first full moon of the New Year. Because of this festival through the ages there is the custom of watching the lights, so it is also known as the Festival of Lights. Old habits of the Lantern Festival night, the city and countryside, everywhere decorated with lanterns, lanterns, guessing riddles, unprecedented. Lantern Festival custom of the formation of a longer process, according to general information and folklore, the first day of the month of the 15th in the Western Han Dynasty has been attached importance to the first month of the Han Emperor on the night of Sin in the Ganquan Palace to sacrifice "too one" activities, was seen as the first day of the month of the first day of the 15th sacrifice of the God of the first voice of the gods. However, the fifteenth day of the first month of the year was really a folk festival after the Han Dynasty and Wei Dynasty. The introduction of Buddhist culture in the Eastern Han Dynasty was an important impetus to the formation of the Lantern Festival.

The Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese festival, as early as 2000 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty, the Lantern Festival began in the Eastern Han Dynasty Ming Di period, Ming Di advocated Buddhism, heard that the Buddhist monks on the fifteenth day of the first month of the Buddha's relics, lighted lamps to honor the Buddha's practice, the order of the night in the palace and temples lighted lamps to honor the Buddha, so that the common people of the scholarly community are hanging lamps. Later, this Buddhist ceremonial festival gradually formed a grand folk festival. The festival has gone through the development process from the palace to the folk, from the Central Plains to the whole country.

At the time of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, the 15th day of the first month was designated as the Lantern Festival. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the sacrifice of the god Taichi was scheduled for the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar. (Taiyi: the god who dominates the universe). When Sima Qian established the "Taichu Calendar", the Lantern Festival was already recognized as a major festival.

Another theory is that the custom of burning lanterns on the Lantern Festival originated in Taoism's "Three Elements"; on the 15th day of the first month for the first element of the festival, the 15th day of the seventh month for the middle element of the festival, the 15th day of the 10th month for the lower element of the festival. Supervisor of the upper, middle and lower three yuan respectively for the sky, earth, people, three officials, the heavenly officials happy, so the festival to light.

The Lantern Festival festival period and festive activities, is with the development of history and extend, expand the kit. In terms of the length of the festival, the Han Dynasty only one day, to the Tang Dynasty has been three days, the Song Dynasty is up to five days, the Ming Dynasty is since the eighth light, until the night of the first month of the seventeenth before the lights, the whole ten days. With the Spring Festival, the daytime for the city, bustling, night lights, spectacular. Especially the delicate, colorful lights, more so during the Spring Festival entertainment activities ***. To the Qing Dynasty, and increased the dragon dance, lion dance, running boats, stilt walkers, twisting rice-planting songs and other "hundred plays" content, just shorten the festival period of four to five days.

Lanterns originated from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, set up an altar in the Palace to worship Taichi God, lighting up the lamps all night long; the introduction of Buddhism to the Middle Kingdom, Taoism and Buddhism, combining the art of the Immortals with the piety of the Buddhist lamps and rituals of the Buddha, the night of the 15th day of the first month of the first month of the city and countryside, the lights, the scholarly common people, all hanging lamps, the formation of customary. Lanterns originated in Han and flourished in Tang.