What are the customs of Lantern Festival?

Lantern Festival, also known as Shangyuan Festival, Little Lantern Festival, Lantern Festival or Lantern Festival, is one of the traditional festivals in China, which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month every year. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, and the ancients called "night". The fifteenth day of the first month is the first full moon night in a year, so it is called "Lantern Festival". According to the Taoist "Sanyuan Festival", the fifteenth day of the first month is also called "Shangyuan Festival". So, do you know the custom of Lantern Festival?

1, Eating Tangyuan/Yuanxiao The most important custom of Lantern Festival is naturally eating Tangyuan. The complete record of glutinous rice balls was first seen in the Song Dynasty. At that time, Tangyuan was called "floating jiaozi". After Yongle in Ming Dynasty, it was called "Yuanxiao". "Round" means completeness and satisfaction, and eating glutinous rice balls means hoping for reunion. There are also differences in the names of glutinous rice balls between north and south. Northerners call it Yuanxiao, while southerners call it Tangyuan. In addition to the different names, there are some subtle differences in production methods and tastes. The Lantern Festival in the north is a circle surrounded by bamboo screens. "Tangyuan" in the south is a round shape kneaded by hand.

2. Lantern riddles, also known as playing riddles, are the special activities of the Lantern Festival. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, traditional folks hang lanterns and set off fireworks. Later, some busybodies wrote riddles on paper and posted them on colorful lanterns for people to guess. Because solve riddles on the lanterns can enlighten wisdom and cater to the festive atmosphere, many people responded. Later, solve riddles on the lanterns gradually became an indispensable program for the Lantern Festival.

3, lion dance, also known as "Taiping Music". Generally, it is done by three people. One person acts as the lion's head, the other acts as the lion's body and hind feet, and the other leads the lion, which is an excellent folk art in China. Every Lantern Festival or assembly celebration, people come to the lion dance for entertainment. This custom originated in the Three Kingdoms period and was popular in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has a history of 1000 years.

4. Dragon Dance "Dragon Dance" is also called "Playing Dragon Lantern" and "Dragon Lantern Dance". There are two kinds of "Dragon Dance" performances: "Single Dragon Playing with Beads" and "Double Dragon Playing with Beads". It jumping is a unique folk entertainment activity in China. Dragons are not real animals in reality. It is a sacred species imagined by ancient ancestors and integrated into the ancient cultural system of China, representing auspiciousness and strength. Therefore, dragon dancing has a beautiful meaning of praying for a good weather and avoiding misfortune in the new year.

5. Set off fireworks. "The east wind night reflects thousands of trees and the stars are like rain." This sentence by Xin Qiji is about the splendid fireworks of the Lantern Festival. Setting off fireworks is an ancient folk activity in China. Developed on the basis of gunpowder. At first, it was a pastime for nobles to compete for hegemony and luxury. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, fireworks production technology made new progress and gradually became a holiday gift. Fireworks will be set off every Lantern Festival and other major events.

The above is my understanding of the customs of the Lantern Festival. Friends, what other customs do you know? Please leave a message in the comments section.