China Tradition: Lantern Festival Lantern Festival

The 15th day of the first lunar month is the traditional Lantern Festival in China. The first month is January, and the ancients called the night "Xiao". The fifteenth day is the first full moon night in a year, so the fifteenth day of the first month is called the Lantern Festival. Also known as "Shangyuan Festival". According to the folk tradition in China, people watch lanterns, solve riddles on lanterns, eat glutinous rice balls, get together with their families and have fun.

Lantern Festival originated in the Han Dynasty, and it is said that it was set up to commemorate Pinglu during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty. After the death of Emperor Liu Ying of the Han Dynasty, Lv Hou usurped power, and the Lushi family dominated the state affairs. After Lv Hou's death, Zhou Bo, Chen Ping and others eliminated the influence of Lv Hou and established Liu Heng as the emperor of China. Because the day to calm Zhu Lu is the fifteenth day of the first month, after that, every year on the fifteenth night of the first month, Wendi will go out of the palace in disguise and have fun with the people as a souvenir. The fifteenth day of the first month is designated as the Lantern Festival. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the sacrificial activities of "Taiyi God" were held on the 15th day of the first month. Taichu calendar in the Western Han Dynasty listed the Lantern Festival as a major festival.

There is a folk custom of eating Yuanxiao on the Lantern Festival in China. According to folklore, Yuanxiao originated from King Zhao of Chu in the Spring and Autumn Period. On the fifteenth day of the first month, King Chu Zhao crossed the Yangtze River and saw floating objects on the river, which were sweets with white outside and red inside. King Zhao of Chu asked Confucius, and Confucius said, "This duckweed fruit is also a sign of the Lord's revival." Yuanxiao is a kind of holiday food, just like rice cakes in the Spring Festival and zongzi in the Dragon Boat Festival. Eating Yuanxiao symbolizes family reunion and entrusts people with good wishes for their future life. Yuanxiao is called "Tangyuan", "Zi Yuan", "Floating Zi Yuan" and "Shui Yuan" in the south. It is made of glutinous rice, solid or stuffed. Filled with bean paste, sugar, hawthorn, etc., boiled, fried, steamed and fried.

Eat Yuanxiao on Lantern Festival

Eating Lantern Festival is the same custom all over the country. This kind of food first appeared in the Song Dynasty. The poet Jiang Baishi wrote in the poem Ode to the Lantern Festival: "Guests look at the Imperial Street with a hook curtain, and the treasures in the city will come at once." This "city treasure" refers to Yuanxiao. Zhou Bida, a poet in the Song Dynasty, once wrote a poem "The Lantern Festival cooks a floating Mariko":

When is the evening? So is reunion.

Tang officials patrol the old flavor, and the kitchen service makes new contributions.

Stars in dark clouds, beads floating in turbid water.

18-year-old miscellaneous poems, there is this sentence about family style.

The poem shows that eating Yuanxiao symbolizes the meaning of the country. At first, Yuanxiao was called "Tangyuan" because it floated in the bowl, just like a bright moon hanging in the sky. There is a full moon in the sky, jiaozi in the bowl, and the family is reunited, just as the folk song "Selling jiaozi" in Taiwan Province Province sings: "A bowl of soup is full, and eating jiaozi is a good reunion." Symbolizes reunion and good luck. Because glutinous rice balls were originally only available on the market during the Lantern Festival, over time, they were directly called Yuanxiao.

It is said that Yuan Shikai, a national thief, usurped the achievements of the Revolution of 1911 and was bent on restoring the throne, but he was afraid of people's opposition and was always on tenterhooks. One day, he heard people selling Yuanxiao in the street screaming, "Yuanxiao." I think the word "Yuanxiao" is suspected of the demise of Yuan Shikai, which is related to my own fate. So before 19 13 Lantern Festival, it is forbidden to call it "Yuanxiao", and it can only be called "glutinous rice balls" or "fruit powder". However, the word "Yuanxiao" was not cancelled because of his will, and the people did not buy his account, so it was still circulated among the people.

Knowledge of eating Yuanxiao.

Caloric dumplings contain a lot of fat and sugar, so they are high in calories. Overweight people or patients with hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes should not take too much? If gout patients eat high-fat food, it will affect the excretion of uric acid and increase the possibility of gout. The calories of four sesame dumplings are equivalent to the calories of a bowl of rice, so eating dumplings during the Lantern Festival should be controlled. Jiaozi with stuffing can be replaced by jiaozi without stuffing to reduce calorie intake, or walking fast after meals 1 hour can consume these calories.

No matter in jiaozi in the north or in the south, glutinous rice flour is used as the ingredient of the crust. Glutinous rice contains more starch, is sticky and difficult to digest. People with poor gastrointestinal function, the elderly and children should pay special attention to eating glutinous rice balls to avoid indigestion or swallowing obstruction.

There are many kinds of dumplings, some sweet and some salty. Sweet stuffing such as sesame, bean paste, jujube paste, peanuts, etc. Salty stuffing such as fresh meat, vegetable meat, etc. Whether sweet or salty stuffing, its fat content is very high, because lard is often used to make Yuanxiao, and too much food with high fat content will aggravate the condition of patients with chronic diseases. In addition, sweet stuffing will make the blood sugar of diabetic patients out of control; Foods with high phosphorus content such as peanuts, sesame seeds and bean paste will aggravate the condition of patients with kidney disease, so special attention should be paid.

Sweet dumplings are already very sweet, so there is no need to add sugar to the soup to reduce calorie intake. If it is a small dumpling without stuffing, the soup can be replaced by longan red jujube soup or longan ginger soup, which can not only reduce some sugar, but also have the effect of tonifying the body and dispelling cold. Salted dumplings can be stuffed with shrimp and vegetables, supplemented with some calcium and cellulose. It should be noted that don't put too much seasoning in the soup.

Other precautions include reducing calories, avoiding frying when eating glutinous rice balls, eating more high-fiber food and doing more exercise than usual. In addition, we should pay attention to prevent burns when eating dumplings, so as not to cause unnecessary harm and affect the festive atmosphere.

Lantern on the fifteenth day of the first month

On the 15th night of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival is traditionally celebrated in China, commonly known as the Lantern Festival. On the night of the Lantern Festival, both cities and villages are decorated with lanterns, and solve riddles on the lanterns is an unprecedented activity on lanterns. At that time, no matter the royal family, ordinary people and ladies, they could break the rules and follow the customs. Make lanterns to enjoy, travel and have fun.

Cui Ye, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem: "Don't worry if the jade leaks the silver pot and the iron lock is fully open;" Who can do nothing on the moon? Where can I smell the light? "Women who are usually not involved in households often take this opportunity to talk with the right person.

Song Xin Qi Ji's Yuan Xi says: "Thousands of trees are in the east wind night in bloom, and the stars are like rain. BMW carved cars are full of incense. Phoenix flute moves, jade pot turns, fish dragon dances all night. Moths, snow, willows, gold thread, laughter and incense are all gone. Look for him in the crowd. Suddenly looking back, the man was there, and the lights were dim. " The image vividly shows the interesting scene of the carnival night of the Lantern Festival. Lovers are eager to outline the encounter and wear it, "nowhere to be found".

The custom of burning lanterns began in the Han Dynasty. During the Shun Di period of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling founded Taoism, and designated the 15th day of the first month as the "Shangyuan Festival". On this day, people lit lanterns and offered sacrifices to the "Taiyi God". This custom has existed for several generations. In the Sui Dynasty, a grand lantern festival was held every year to entertain the envoys of various countries.

Lantern Festival became the Lantern Festival and became a custom in the middle of the Tang Dynasty. In the second year of his birth (7 13), Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty reopened the curfew on the fifteenth day of the first month and ordered thousands of lanterns to be lit for three nights, which became a temporary prosperity. During the Kande period in the Northern Song Dynasty, the lighting time increased to five nights. /kloc-starts at 0/4 and ends at 0/8. More prosperous. Therefore, there is a saying that "jiaozi in the Song Dynasty, lanterns in the Sui Dynasty". Moreover, riddles appeared in the Song Dynasty, that is, riddles were tied to lanterns, which made people appreciate lanterns with riddles and increased their interest. The word "lantern riddle" came from this. In the seventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, the court issued a decree that "the Lantern Festival begins on the eleventh and has a ten-day holiday." It has become the longest Lantern Festival in the past and a national festival. In the Qing Dynasty, the Lantern Festival was changed to four days, but the grand occasion continued unabated. From the first month, "thirteen lights, fourteen test lights, fifteen positive lights." It has been lively until the "Eighteen Lights" and the whole Spring Festival is over.

About the origin of the Lantern Festival, folklore is even more varied.

Some legends say that Emperor Yang Di was addicted to sex and wanted to marry his sister. My sister can't get married unless there is a miracle on the fifteenth day of the first month. Emperor Yang Di ordered people around the capital to light lamps in every household on the evening of 15, and those who disobeyed the orders would be beheaded. /kloc-On the evening of 0/5, my sister went upstairs and saw lights everywhere. She mistakenly thought that the stars really landed, so she threw herself into the river. In memory of this woman who is unwilling to be humiliated, the people light lamps on the fifteenth day of the first month.

Some legends say that the Lantern Festival originated from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. At that time, the maid-in-waiting Yuanxiao missed her parents at home after the first month, and it was strictly forbidden in the palace. How can she go out to meet? Dong Fangshuo, who was resourceful, expressed deep sympathy after learning about it, so he designed it to satisfy them. First, rumors were spread that Vulcan would send personnel to burn Chang 'an, and the city palace was in a panic. Later, he offered a plan to Emperor Wu, and all the court personnel went out to avoid disaster on the fifteenth night. Red lights are hung on the streets and courtyard doors in the city, just like the fire in the city, in order to deceive Vulcan who is watching and monitoring in the sky. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty promised that the ladies-in-waiting would take the opportunity to meet their families during the Lantern Festival. Since then, lights have been lit on the fifteenth day of the first month every year.

There are also legends that the Lantern Festival originated from folk farming habits such as "keeping fire". Every year around the 15th day of the first month, spring ploughing is coming, and farmers all over the country are busy preparing for ploughing. Farmers in some areas went to the fields that night to pick up dead branches and weeds and set fire to kill pests.

Happy for a while, sad for a while, I will think of 1000 wrong things.

If you think about it by all means, you can solve your troubles by yourself.

This poem is a riddle, and the answer is "guess". According to legend, the guessing game began more than two thousand years ago.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, lantern riddles became more frequent and expanded in scale. Not only in Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese Valentine's Day (the seventh day of July), lantern riddles are often held. More importantly, Macangshan in Yangzhou launched the Eighteen Guangling in the late Ming Dynasty (Guangling is the ancient name of Yangzhou), and most of the puzzles such as roller blinds, Xu Fei, foundation and shrimp whiskers are still in use today. The creation of riddles marks the development of riddles to a mature stage. Novels such as A Dream of Red Mansions and The Edge of the Mirror Flower all have plots about lantern riddles. Through the rendering and dissemination of these literary works, lantern riddles are more popular among the people.

Happy time is too short, sad time is too long, together time is too short, parting time is too long. It turns out that time is something that is eternal from the beginning and short from the end.

Time is eternity, and we must hold it in our hands forever, but we can never hold it tightly.

On the 15th night of the first lunar month, this is a traditional folk celebration in China. It is a custom to eat Yuanxiao on Lantern Festival.

Interviewee: Zhang Xin 88- Tong Sheng Level 1 2-4 22:03

According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty lived in seclusion for many years, missing his parents and spending all day in Lacrimosa. There was a maid-in-waiting named Yuanxiao in the palace. Dong Fangshuo, the minister, was determined to help her, so she lied to Emperor Wu that Vulcan burned Chang 'an on the 15th day of the first month on orders from the Jade Emperor. The only way to escape suffering is to let the "Lantern Festival Girl" make many jiaozi that Vulcan loves to eat on the fifteenth day of the first month, and all the subjects decorate them with lanterns. With the help of Emperor Wu, "Yuanxiao Girl" finally met her family. Since then, the Lantern Festival has been formed.

There are different opinions about the formation of the Lantern Festival custom, but it was roughly formed in the Han Dynasty. In the history of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty offered sacrifices to a god named Taiyi. It is said that Taiyi was a very prominent god at that time, ranking above the five emperors and owing to the Han emperor, so he was greatly worshipped. According to legend, another Emperor Wendi of the Han Dynasty was also related to the Lantern Festival.

Yuanxiao, also known as Tangyuan, has many nicknames in history, such as "Mian Cocoon, Fenguo, Yuanbao, Tangbing, Yuanbujiao" and so on. It was not until the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty that it was officially named Yuanxiao. Yuanxiao is divided into two kinds: stuffed and unfilled. Small and sweet without stuffing, with white sugar, longan, sweet-scented osmanthus, diced lotus root and candied fruit as seasoning, also known as "Pearl jiaozi", large and shaped like a walnut with stuffing. Yuanxiao in the north is mostly sweet, with white sugar, red bean paste, sesame seeds and hawthorn, while Yuanxiao in the south is sweet, salty, meat and vegetarian, especially Ningbo Tangyuan and Guiyang Wu Jia Tangyuan. .

"Sweet-scented osmanthus stuffed with walnuts, rice is like pearl well water. Watch Ma Jiahao drop powder and try to sell Yuanxiao in the wind. " This poem "On the Bamboo Branches of Shangyuan" in the Qing Dynasty reflects that Beijing had the habit of eating jiaozi on the Lantern Festival a long time ago, and at that time, it already had a brand name famous for selling jiaozi.

The fifteenth day of the first month is the Lantern Festival. Lantern Festival is Lantern Festival. In China, the custom of watching lanterns on the Lantern Festival left over from the Tang Dynasty has been circulated among the people. In addition, the custom of eating jiaozi in the Lantern Festival has been preserved until now, because people are used to calling it "Yuanxiao"-Yuanxiao on the night of the Lantern Festival.

On the Lantern Festival, restaurants, pastry shops and even street stalls in Beijing sell jiaozi. On the fifteenth day of the first month, every family eats a steaming bowl of jiaozi. How people miss the customs left by our ancestors!

Tangyuan is also called dumplings and powdered fruit, because it floats on the water after being cooked, and it was also called floating dumplings in ancient times. People eat glutinous rice balls on the Lantern Festival, which actually means missing their loved ones and longing for reunion. In the Song Dynasty, Zhou Bida's "Boiling and Floating Zi Yuan on the Lantern Festival" was the earliest poem describing glutinous rice balls in China.

"Do you know anything tonight? Everything is like reunion.

Tang Guan looks for old flavor, and the cook looks for new works.

The stars are wrapped in dark clouds, and the beads are floating in muddy water.

18-year-old miscellaneous poems, there is this sentence about family style. "

Zhou Bida was the minister of filial piety in the Southern Song Dynasty. He usually purges the military and political affairs and makes great efforts to govern. This little poem has revealed his longing for the reunion of the people of the whole country. Even the girl who made a fire under the stove was surprised. Everyone was immersed in the deep feelings of missing their hometown when cooking dumplings! Eating glutinous rice balls and remembering relatives has always been a habit that has been passed down to this day.