Why do we hang lanterns on Chinese New Year?

In daily life, the Spring Festival is a very important traditional festival. Every year on the Spring Festival, every family will hang lanterns. So why do we hang lanterns in the Spring Festival? Today we will listen to the story about hanging lanterns.

First: The Legend of the Heavenly Emperor Setting Fire

There is an interesting story circulating among the people. A long time ago, a god bird drifted down to earth because it got lost and was shot by a hunter. The emperor was so angry that he ordered the heavenly soldiers to come to earth on the 15th day of the first month to set fire to all the human and animal properties on earth. The daughter of the emperor was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the innocent people suffer, so she secretly came to the earth and told the news to the people. There is a clever man came up with a method, he let everyone in the first month of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth of these three days in the house lights, firecrackers, fireworks. On the night of the fifteenth day of the first month, the emperor of heaven looked down and found a red light on earth and a loud noise, which the emperor of heaven thought was the flame of a big fire burning. Therefore, on the fifteenth day of the first month, every family hangs lanterns to commemorate this day.

Second: the Spring Festival hanging lanterns is in honor of Jiang Ziya

Jiang Ziya after sealing the gods, but since there is nothing in the division, only a certain gods and goddesses out of the trip to the beat replacement. On New Year's Eve, all the gods returned to their positions, but Jiang Ziya has no place to go, the people see him poor, in the head of the high pole to light a lamp, so that he squatted under the lamp for a night. Over time the custom of lighting lanterns was formed.

Third: Repel "Year"Beast Legend

Legend has it that in ancient China, there was a monster called "Nian", which had a long head with tentacles and was extremely fierce. "It lived at the bottom of the sea for many years, and only climbed ashore on New Year's Eve to devour livestock and hurt people. Therefore, every New Year's Eve, the people of villages and hamlets fled to the mountains to avoid the harm of the "Nian" beast. However, a silver-haired old man realized that the "New Year" beast was afraid of red color and firecrackers. So every year on New Year's Eve, every family puts up red couplets and sets off firecrackers; every household keeps the candles burning brightly and waits for the New Year's Eve. Early in the morning on the first day, but also to go to friends and relatives to say hello. This custom has spread more and more widely, and has become the grandest traditional festival in Chinese folklore. Similarly, red lanterns were hung to celebrate the New Year, and have been passed down ever since.

Fourth: the legend of the lantern

Yongzheng years of the Qing Dynasty, Hebei Province, there is an old man, this person is dexterous, love of folk crafts, there is a set of crafts to do the lantern, every year, he has to do a few pairs of bright and colorful lanterns hanging in front of their own homes for the Chinese New Year Festival added a peaceful, festive atmosphere, every year attracts the crowd! Every year, he attracted many neighbors to watch and appreciate. One year, the old man made several pairs of lanterns to sell at the Gao Cheng market, which happened to be seen by the county governor who was traveling to the market for distraction, so he bought all of the lanterns and hung them in his residence for the whole day to watch. Lantern chic workmanship, opulent, the county governor as a treasure, love. This year and to the emperor tribute date, the county master is thinking hard to send what items to please the emperor, someone pointed out that he sent a few pairs of lanterns to try. Although a little bit reluctant, but in order to please the emperor had to bear the pain. Sure enough, the emperor at a glance, the face of the dragon is very happy, reward Ligustrum County, and the lanterns as tribute. Later, inside and outside the palace hung everywhere this big red Tuntou lanterns. Hebei lanterns were designated as tribute to take the name of the tribute lamp, become the palace specialties, and later people to "tribute" word for "Palace" word, became the current "Palace Lanterns".