What do people do on the Lantern Festival?

The traditional customs of Lantern Festival in past dynasties include going out to enjoy the moon, lighting lanterns and setting off fireworks, enjoying riddles, eating Yuanxiao and pulling rabbit lanterns. In addition, in many places, traditional folk performances, such as playing dragon lanterns, playing lions, walking on stilts, boating, yangko dancing and playing Taiping drums, have all joined the Lantern Festival.

Lantern Festival, also known as Shangyuan Festival, Xiaoyuanyuan Festival, Yuanxi Festival or Lantern Festival, is the first important festival after the Spring Festival, one of the traditional festivals in China, and a part of the Chinese character cultural circle and overseas Chinese. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar. The ancients called the night "night", so the fifteenth day of the first full moon in a year was called the Lantern Festival.

In the ancient customs of China, Shangyuan Festival (Tianguan Festival, Lantern Festival), Zhongyuan Festival (Diguan Festival, Fish Board Festival) and Xiayuan Festival (Water Joint) are collectively called Sanyuan Festival. Lantern Festival began in the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty ordered the fifteenth day of the first month to be designated as the Lantern Festival. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the sacrificial activities of "Taiyi God" were scheduled for the 15th day of the first month (Taiyi: the God in charge of everything in the universe). When Sima Qian created the taichu calendar Law, he had already identified the Lantern Festival as a major festival.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Lantern Festival