What are the customs of the Lantern Festival

Lighting

Since the Lantern Festival, the custom of lightings has been formed, and all the dynasties have taken the 15th day of the first month of the lightings as a great event. Liang Jianwendi once wrote a <>: Southern oil is full, the western paint to burn. Su Zheng rest, wax out of Longchuan. The slanting sunlight is reflected, and the reflection is clear and fresh." It depicted the pomp and circumstance of the palace at the Lantern Festival. In the time of Emperor Yang of Sui, a grand party was held on the 15th day of the first month every year to entertain the guests and envoys from all over the world. According to the "Sui book - music" records: the Lantern Festival is very grand, everywhere lights and colors, day and night singing, dancing and playing music, performers up to more than 30,000 people, playing music up to more than 18,000 people, the stage is eight miles long, play the people watching the lights is countless, all night long, enjoy the fun, lively very much. In the Tang Dynasty, it developed into an unprecedented lantern market, and after the Middle Tang Dynasty, it has developed into a national carnival. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 685--762), the beginning of the heyday, Chang'an lamp market is very large, burning lamps 50,000, lanterns, lanterns, the emperor ordered to make a giant lamp building, as wide as 20 rooms, 150 feet high, bright gold, extremely spectacular. Tang Dynasty is the implementation of the curfew, the night ban on the drums will be prohibited to travel, criminal night to be punished; only in the first yuan festival, the emperor chartered three days, known as "put the night". Along to the Song Dynasty, the lights from three nights extended to five nights, lights outside the fireworks, performing a variety of juggling, the scene is more lively. Tokyo Dreaming Records recorded: Every Lantern Festival, Kaifeng Imperial Street, ten thousand colored lanterns base lamps mountain, lanterns fireworks, gold and blue shot, embroidery and glitter. The girls of Kyoto sang and danced, and ten thousand people gathered around to watch." Tourists gathered under the two corridors of the Imperial Street, strange arts and crafts, singing and dancing, and music and noise for more than ten miles." The streets and alleys, tea houses and restaurants lights and candles burning, the sound of drums and gongs, firecrackers, hundreds of miles of lights incessantly

compatriots from all over the Lantern Festival to the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang in Jinling, after the throne, in order to make the capital prosperous and lively, and the provisions of the first eight of the first month of the lights, seventeen lights, even Zhang ten nights, every household are hanging colorful lanterns, lanterns on the depiction of a variety of figures, dancing, birds flying flowers. Dragons and fish leap, lanterns and fireworks shine all night long. Drums and music. Noisy Dan, which is China's longest Lantern Festival, the Qing Dynasty, Manchu dominated the Central Plains, the court no longer run the Lantern Festival, the folk Lantern Festival is still spectacular. The date was shortened to five days, has continued to this day.

Guess the riddles

The riddles "Guess the riddles", also known as "playing riddles", is an activity added after the Lantern Festival, the riddles were first developed from the riddles, originated in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period. It is a kind of literary game which is full of ridicule, admonition, warning, wit and jest. Riddles are hung in lamps for people to guess and shoot, which began in the Southern Song Dynasty. The Old Story of Wulin - Lanterns" recorded: "Silk lamps cut and written poems, sometimes with ridicule and laughter, and painting characters, hidden hidden words, and gags in the old capital, teasing pedestrians." Lantern Festival, the Imperial City is not night, the spring Lantern Festival lanterns, the people mixed, poetry riddles book in the lamps, reflected in the candles, listed in the thoroughfares, anyone guessing, so called "lantern riddles". Nowadays, every Lantern Festival, all places are playing lantern riddles, hoping that this year can be joyful and peaceful. Because riddles can enlighten and interest people, they are popular among all social classes.

All kinds of juggling skills began to appear in the lantern market in the Tang and Song dynasties. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, in addition to the lantern riddles and a hundred plays and dances, the lantern market also added the content of opera performances.

Throughout the ages, in addition to touring the lantern market, there are welcome Zigu worship toilet god, bridge touch nails away from the hundred diseases and other customs, there are drums, rice-planting songs, stilt walkers, dragon dance, lion dance and other games.

The Lantern Festival in traditional society is a folk festival valued by both urban and rural areas, and the Lantern Festival in the city is particularly enthusiastic, reflecting the unique carnival spirit of the Chinese people. The traditional Lantern Festival has been dissolved by daily life, people gradually lost *** with the spiritual interest, the complexity of the festival has been simplified to "eat Lantern" food customs.

Dragon Lantern Dance

The Dragon Lantern Dance, also known as the Dragon Lantern Dance or Dragon Dance. Its origin can be traced back to ancient times. Legend has it that as early as in the period of the Yellow Emperor, in a kind of large-scale song and dance of "Qingjiao", there was an image of a dragon head with a bird body played by a person, and then choreographed a dance scene of six augur dragons interspersed with each other. See in the written records of the dragon dance, is the Han Dynasty Zhang Heng's "Xijing Fu", the author of the hundred plays in the narrative of the dragon dance made a vivid depiction. According to the "sui book - music" records, the emperor of sui yang similar to the hundred plays in the dragon dance performance of the "yellow dragon change" is also very wonderful, the dragon dance is popular in many parts of China. The Chinese people revere the dragon as a symbol of good luck.

Stilts

Stilts are a kind of popular skill show. Stilts are one of the hundred ancient Chinese plays, which appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. The earliest introduction of stilts in China is in the article of "Lie Zi - Said Fu": "There was a Lanzi in Song, who used his skill to dry Song Yuan. Song Yuan summoned him to see his skill.

Lion Dance

Traditional Folk Programs--Lion Dance The lion dance is an excellent folk art in China, and the lion dance is used in every Lantern Festival or gathering. This custom originated in the Three Kingdoms period and became popular during the North and South Dynasties, and has a history of more than a thousand years.

"Lion Dance" began in the Wei and Jin dynasties, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, also known as the "Lion Dance", "Peaceful Music", generally completed by three people, two dressed as a lion, a person acting as the head of the lion, a person acting as the body and the back of the lion. One person as a lion body and back feet, the other when the lion guide, the dance method and there are cultural and military points, cultural dance to show that the lion's tame, there are shaking hair, rolling and other actions, martial arts lion lion lion lion ferocious, there are prancing, stomping, rolling colorful ball and other actions.

Rowing the dry boat

Rowing the dry boat, folklore says, is in honor of Dayu, who was successful in curing the water. Rowing a dry boat, also known as running a dry boat, is to imitate the boat on land, most of the performance of running a dry boat is a girl. Dry boat is not a real boat, more than two thin boards, sawed into a boat shape, bamboo and wood tied into, and then masked with colorful cloth, set of ties in the girl's waist, as sitting in the boat, as in the hands of the same paddle, to do the rowing position, one side running, one side singing some local ditties, singing and dancing, which is the rowing of dry boat. Sometimes there is another man dressed as a boat passenger, partnering performance, most of them dressed as clowns, with a variety of comical actions to amuse the audience. Rowing the dry boat is popular in many parts of China.

Eating Lantern Festival

"Lantern Festival" as a food has a long history in China. During the Song Dynasty, a novelty food for the Lantern Festival was popular among the people. This food, the earliest called "floating Yuanzi" later called "Lantern", the businessman also beautifully called "Yuanbao". In ancient times, "Lantern" is more expensive, there is a poem that says: "Your guests hook curtains to see the Royal Street, the market treasures a moment to. The flower racks in front of the curtains have no way to travel, no money shall not return."

The 15th day of the first month to eat Lantern Festival, Lantern Festival that is "dumplings" to sugar, rose, sesame, bean paste, yellow cinnamon, walnuts, nuts, jujube puree, etc. for the filling, wrapped in glutinous rice flour into a round, meat can be vegetarian, with a variety of flavors. It can be boiled in soup, deep-fried or steamed, and has the meaning of reunion. Shaanxi dumplings are not wrapped, but in the glutinous rice flour "rolled" into, or boiled Division or deep-fried, hot fire, reunion. [2]

Sacrificing the door, sacrificing the household

In ancient times, there were "seven sacrifices", of which these were two. They were performed by sticking a branch of a poplar tree above a gateway, inserting a pair of chopsticks into a bowl of bean porridge, or placing wine and meat directly in front of the door.

Rats

This activity is mainly said to people who raise silkworms. Because rats often ate the silkworms in large pieces at night, people heard that on the 15th day of the first lunar month, they fed the rats with rice porridge so that they would not eat the silkworms. So, these people in the first month of the fifteenth simmering on a big pot of sticky porridge, some also covered with a layer of meat on the top, the porridge with a bowl, put the porridge into the rat-infested roofs, corners, and put the side of the mouth while chanting, cursing the rats to eat silkworms again on the baby shall not die.

The Jing Chu chronicle said, the first month of the fifteenth time, there is a fairy down to a family surnamed Chen, said to them: if you can worship me, this year, let your silkworm harvest. Then the custom was formed.

Sending children lamps

Short for "send lamps", also known as "send lanterns", etc., that is, before the Lantern Festival, the mother's family to send lanterns to the newly married daughter's home, or general friends and relatives to the newly married sterile home, in order to add a good omen, because the "lamp" and the "lamp" are the same as the "lamp", and the "lamp" and the "lamp" are the same as the "lamp", and the "lamp" is the same as the "lamp". "Lights" and "Ding" harmonized. This custom in many places, Xi'an, Shaanxi area is the first eight to fifteen during the first month to send lamps, the first year to send a pair of large lanterns, a pair of glass lamps with colorful paintings, hope that the daughter of the marriage of the lucky star, early birth of a child; such as the daughter of the pregnancy, in addition to the large lanterns, but also to send one or two pairs of small lanterns, wishing the daughter a safe pregnancy.

Welcome purple nun

Purple nun also called Qi Gu, the north more known as the toilet nun, pit three nuns. Ancient folk custom on the fifteenth day of the first month to welcome the toilet god Zigu and sacrifice, divination sericulture, and account for many things. Legend has it that Zigu was originally a concubine, jealous of the older women, the first month of the fifteenth was killed in the toilet, become the toilet God. Every time to welcome the purple nun this Lantern Festival "walk a hundred diseases" to seek well-being day night, people with straw, cloth and other tie into a life-size portrait of the purple nun, and at night in the toilet between the pigsty to meet and worship. This custom is popular in the north and south, as early as the period of the North and South Dynasties in the records.

Walking the hundred diseases

"Walking the hundred diseases", also known as the tour of the hundred diseases, scattered hundred diseases, baked hundred diseases, walk the bridge, etc., is a kind of elimination of disasters and pray for health activities. The night of the Lantern Festival women meet to go out, traveling in pairs, see the bridge must be crossed, that can get rid of diseases and prolong life.

Walking the hundred diseases is a custom in the north since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, some in the 15th, but more in the 16th. On this day, women dressed in festive costumes, groups of people out of the house, walking bridge across the danger, climbed the city, touching the nail to seek a son, until midnight, to return.

Minorities

Stealing Vegetables Festival

The Stealing Vegetables Festival of the Miao ethnic group, popularized in the area of Huangping, Guizhou Province, is also held on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar every year. On the day of the festival, girls go in groups to steal other people's vegetables, strictly prohibited from stealing their own family, but also can not steal from friends of the same sex, because stealing vegetables is related to their marital affairs. The vegetables they steal are limited to cabbages, and the quantity is enough for everyone to have a meal. There was no fear of being caught stealing vegetables, and the families of those who were stolen were not blamed. Everyone gathers the stolen vegetables together and makes a cabbage feast. It is said that whoever eats the most will be able to get the man of his choice early, and at the same time raise the strongest silkworms, which will spit out the best and most silk.

Bawu Festival

The traditional festival of the Yi people, the Bawu Festival, is held on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar. The word "Ba'u" means "return from hunting". In Yunnan Heqing Yi tribal branch of the black living people living area. This festival was originally a customary event to celebrate the return of hunting, with no fixed festival.

Festive food customs

New Year's Eve to eat Lantern Festival, "Lantern Festival" as a food, in China has a long history. Song Dynasty, the folk that is popular a Lantern Festival to eat the novelty of food.

The representative food of the Lantern Festival this food, the earliest called "floating Yuanzi" later called "Lantern", the businessman also beautifully called "Yuanbao". Lantern that "dumplings" to sugar, rose, sesame, bean paste, yellow cinnamon, walnuts, nuts, jujube paste, etc. for the filling, wrapped in glutinous rice flour into a round shape, can be meat or vegetarian, with different flavors. It can be boiled in soup, deep-fried or steamed, and has the meaning of reunion. Shaanxi dumplings are not wrapped, but in the glutinous rice flour "rolled" into, or boiled Division or deep-fried, hot fire, reunion. At the same time, some festive food is also eaten, in the North and South Dynasties, poured with meat and poo soup rice porridge or bean porridge. But this food is mainly used for rituals, not yet talked about is festival food. In the Tang Dynasty, Zheng Wangzhi's "Cuisine Record" recorded: "Bianzhong festival food, on the Yuan oil hammer". The method of making oil hammer, according to "Taiping Guangji" cited "Lu's Miscellaneous Sayings" in a "Shangshi food order" records, similar to the later generation of deep-fried Lantern Festival. Some people also called it "oil painting pearl". In the Tang Dynasty, the food for the Lantern Festival was the noodle worm. Wang Renyu's (880-956) "Kaiyuan Tianbaozhi" records: "Every year on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the custom of man-made noodle silkworms still remains in the Song Dynasty, but the different foods for the festival are more abundant than in the Tang Dynasty". Lv Yuanming's "Miscellany of the Year" mentions: "Beijing people make mung bean flour for Kodou soup, boil glutinous for balls, sugar for meat broth, called round salt and black bean. Twisted head of mixed meat soup, called salt and black bean soup, and as a human day to create silkworms, all on the Yuan Festival food. To the Southern Song Dynasty, there is the so-called "lactose rounds" appeared, which should be the predecessor of the dumplings.

At least by the Ming Dynasty, people were calling these glutinous rice balls 'yuanxiao'. Liu Ruoyu's (b. 1541) Zhizhong Zhi (酌中志) recorded the method of making the dumplings: "The method of making them was to use glutinous rice with fine flour, stuffed with walnut kernels, sugar and roses, and rolled into a dumpling as big as a walnut with a sprinkling of water, which is also known as soup dumplings in Jiangnan".

During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the Imperial Household Cuisine's special "Eight Treasures Lanterns" was a famous delicacy. Ma Siyuan was a master of the Yuanxiao in Beijing at that time. He was well known for his powder-dripping snacks. Fu Zeng (born in 1688) wrote in his "Bamboo Poem for the Last Lantern": "The filling is fragrant with osmanthus flowers and walnuts, and the river rice is like a pearl poured into the well. I have seen that the Ma family sells Lanterns in the wind, saying that the Ma family sells good powder. The poem is about the famous Ma Jia Lanterns.

Over the past thousand years, the production of the lanterns has become increasingly sophisticated. In terms of crusts alone, there are river rice noodles, sticky sorghum noodles, yellow rice noodles, and pods of cereal grain noodles. The fillings are sweet, salty, non-vegetarian and all kinds of stuffing. The sweet ones are so-called osmanthus sugar, hawthorn sugar, assorted, bean paste, sesame, peanut, etc. The savory ones are lard and meat. The salty ones are filled with pork lard, which can be used for deep-frying and stir-frying. Vegetarian ones are the five-octane Yuanxiao made up of mustard, garlic, leek and ginger, which means hard work, longevity and upward mobility.

Methods of production also vary from north to south. The north of the Lantern Lantern more with the method of the Wuhu roll hand shaking, the south of the dumplings are more with the heart of the hand kneading the ball. Lanterns can be as big as walnuts, there are small like soybeans, cooking methods with soup, fried to eat, boil, steam, etc.. Whether with or without filling, are equally delicious. At present, the Lantern has become a kind of all-time snacks snacks, at any time you can come to a bowl of relief.

All over China

The customs of the Lantern Festival vary across the country

Beijing

The most lively festival in old Beijing is not the Spring Festival, but the Lantern Festival. From the 13th day of the first month to the 17th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the people of Beijing are entertained for five whole days and nights. The most important activity of the Lantern Festival in old Beijing is to enjoy the lanterns. Beijing's lantern market in the Ming Dynasty in the East City Lantern Market, Lantern Festival night, the streets on both sides of the city, on the jewelry and jade, down to the daily necessities, a full range of stores are hanging silk yarn, burned beads, Mingjiao, straw, straw made of various types of lanterns for people to enjoy. By the Qing Dynasty, the lamp market throughout the city of Beijing.

Hebei Province

Yongping Province Lantern Festival, sick women gathered under the kiln, called "Tao Moxibustion". Children staggered to the bridge, called "Duo Bai'er". Some people also cut paper for nine paper rope, hand knotted to divine the blame, called "knot sheep's intestines". And twelve face calendars to store oil into the pot to steam, to face the calendars of the amount of water to foretell the month's rain or shine. Jinghai County on the Yuan Festival to large steamed bread for the festival. Qingyun County Lantern Festival men ask the five ancestors to teach boxing stick, women ask Zigu divining blame.

Anhui Province

Nearing the Lantern Festival in the past few days, a variety of folkloric cultural performances are held in the streets and communities of Shangyao Township, Datong District, Huainan City, and in the countryside fields. Twisting flower drum lanterns, playing dragon lanterns, lions rolling embroidered balls, stilts, lifting the cabinet, flower stick, lanterns, umbrella lanterns, dry boat, one-pole bridge and other colorful performances, not only the New Year's atmosphere to a climax, but also let the young and old people in the townships of ten miles and eight townships to appreciate the unique culture of the Huaihe River style.　On both sides of the Huai River, there is a saying that "the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year is like a new year". The first three days of the New Year, people are busy with the old and the new, visiting friends and relatives, can not take care of food can not play, the Lantern Festival is the strongest flavor of the New Year moment.

Fuyang people are hardworking and smart, in the long-term production and life practice, continue to develop and create, forming a unique mass culture. There are lively form, rich in content of the music and art, there are unique regional characteristics of folk dance and drama. Every year on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, these colorful mass cultures converge into the unique Fuyang Lantern Festival. Fuyang Lantern Festival began in the Sui and Tang dynasties and flourished in the Ming dynasty. When Ouyang Xiu was the governor of Yingzhou in the Song Dynasty, he once wrote, "On the night of the New Year's Eve last year, the lights in the flower market were as bright as day. Last year, on the night of the New Year's Eve, the lanterns in the flower market were like daytime. This year, on the night of the New Year's Eve, the moon and the lanterns are still the same, but I don't see last year's people, and my tears are all over my sleeves." This poem shows that the lantern festival in Fuyang was very popular in the Song Dynasty. Every year on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the traditional Lantern Festival, every day, the masses will voluntarily put their own tie-made flowers, birds, insects, fish and beasts lamps, twelve zodiac lights and so on a variety of different shapes of colorful lamps hanging in front of their homes. Lantern Festival Lantern Festival also sing some big opera, there is a play or more than two plays sing, also known as the "theater play". At the same time, the family also set off a variety of fireworks to help.

Shanxi Province

The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, also known as the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival is the oldest night festival in China. According to legend, the Western Han Dynasty pacified "Zhu Lu", and the 15th day of the first month of the Han Dynasty was set as the Lantern Festival. The whole country was decorated with lanterns and colors to celebrate the festival. The palace royal family, the ladies can also go to the street to see the lanterns to play.

Lunar New Year's Eve, families make their own Lantern Festival (today there are professionals specializing in selling). Lantern ancient name "floating yuanzi", is a kind of elegant and vulgar **** taste, sweet but not greasy, popular folk snacks, popular throughout the country. "Star Can dark clouds, beads floating in cloudy water". "Light round absolutely better than chicken head meat, surging greasy prefer crab eye soup". Ancient poets so describe the Lantern Festival round, no wonder this thing through the millennium, the popularity is not declining.

Hanging lanterns is a necessary form of celebrating the Lantern Festival in Shanxi. Whenever the Lantern Festival comes, families are hanging up all kinds of lights, from fourteen to sixteen, open every night, as far as the eye can see, the buildings are colorful, the whole city dressed up rich and brilliant, the units also scramble to make a variety of lanterns, hanging up on the street for people to enjoy, lanterns in many styles, countless, there are animals, there are Chinese zodiac signs, there are riddles, there is a lantern, there are modern Electrical appliances, but also to celebrate the new life of modern people, airplanes, rockets, spaceships, there are drum lamps, Runcorn lamps, fish, shrimp, chicken, duck and goose lamps, orange, banana and pineapple lamps, palace lanterns, Ruyi lamps, material silk lamps, glass lamps, horse lanterns ...... shaped, colorful and varied.

Fireworks, for the people of Shanxi Lantern Festival the most delightful activities. Lantern Festival night in the square are going to fireworks activities, when the whole family went to the street, to see the beautiful fireworks, fireworks more and more beautiful, more and more big, more and more high technology, more and more beautiful color more and more colorful.

Literary Street Stomping, known as the folk culture makeup parade. "Dress up the story, full of jewelry, bells and drums in the sky, a country as crazy." (Ming Qiaoyuan Minshu). From fourteen to sixteen, three consecutive days in various counties and districts are organized in various cultural performances to the city, there are folk art, there are modern art display, there are traditional arts and crafts, there are ancient music, there are the eight sound will be, there are costume drama, the pattern of the many, countless. Run a large-scale light show. Each unit wants to sound, light, color all the large-scale light show on the street. There are on behalf of auspicious, there are on behalf of happiness, there are on behalf of the ancient legends, there are with the meaning of enlightenment.

Shandong Province

Zibo City, Zichuan District of the Lantern Festival in the waterfront home more river lanterns. Ningyang County, Tai'an City, the Lantern Festival to send lamps to the ancestral tomb. Binzhou City, Boxing County, the Lantern Festival has the custom of lighting. Boys carrying lamps, around the jujube tree six times, recite "Duoluo Duoluo, blossom jujube" six times, can make the jujube tree harvest. Rizhao City, Ju (jǔ) County, men, women and children on the sixteenth day of the first month in the field, known as the "walk old appearance", it is said that once a year to walk can always be young.

Henan Province

Xiangcheng County, the Lantern Festival to eat wonton soup, known as the "reunion tea", the mother's family to pick up married daughters to go home for the holidays, the county Lantern Festival lights, young and old people who are sick, all the fire moxibustion stone turtle. If there is a local bridge over the river, they will cross the bridge at the same rate. If there is no bridge, the boards built several feet high "sky bridge", known as the "walk a hundred diseases.

Shanxi Province

Fengxiang County in the Lantern Festival feast daughters, son-in-laws, known as "eat fifteen". It is also called "adding oil" to send lamps and oil.

Jiangsu Province

Wujin District on the first day of the yuan tied reed into a ten feet of the torch, inserted in the field, said the "light Tian Cai", used to predict the early scribble. Fire color white for water, red for drought. Yixing on the first day of the Yuan, children wearing ghost masks, flexing their feet and vibrating their shoulders and jumping, known as "jumping ghosts".

Zhejiang Province

Hangzhou folk on the fifteenth day of the first month for the first yuan of heavenly officials to give the blessing of the hour, more than vegetarian chanting, prostrate to the Wu Shan worship. Haining County Lantern Festival is best known for its delicate chrysanthemum lanterns. In Shangyu County, few people compete in martial arts on the moon stage of the Lantern Festival. Jiande County people have a newly married daughter-in-law, the Lantern Festival to set up wine to the bed.

Jiangxi Province

Newly built county people in the Lantern Festival tomb sweeping bamboo for lights. Wanan County townships in the Lantern Festival rituals on the Yuan Shenzhou.

Hubei Province

Yunmeng County (today's Jianghan), the old farmers in the Lantern Festival night with a torch in favor of the field, called "light Jedi silkworms. The children will welcome the gods with field drums to divine the year's events. In Wuchang, the "Dragon Festival" lasts for three days. The men, women and children of the village follow the dragon lanterns to neighboring villages for a banquet, called "dragon for wine".

Hunan Province

Changde Shangyuan families to pepper for the soup, adding leeks and fruits to treat guests, known as the "soup". Xintian County, after the dragon lanterns, the dragon lanterns will be put to the torch, known as the "send disaster".

Sichuan Province

Sichuan Lantern has a "four steal" custom: "a steal dumplings, two steal the green, three steal eaves light four steal red." Except for stealing the green to strengthen the body, the rest is a custom to seek children. In Kaixian County, there is a custom of "scolding each other". During the Lantern Festival, people carry benches outdoors and curse all their grievances, and those who are cursed are not allowed to curse back.

Fujian Province

Quanzhou lanterns are unique, there are incense lanterns, paper folded lotus lanterns, silk lanterns, eight knot lamps and so on. Shaowu County Lantern Festival in the territory of the temple around the border to welcome incense, known as "net street". In southern Fujian, there are two villages on the Lantern Festival, children throw stones for each other as a custom of the play. It is said that if you do not throw the stone, the village must have a plague.

Guangdong Province

The people of Xin'an County, who gave birth to a boy last year, celebrated the Lantern Festival on the night of the Lantern Festival. During the Lantern Festival in Nanxiong, parents take the dragon's whiskers from the dragon lanterns and tie them around their children, which is said to keep them free of disease. It is also said that the remaining candles in the dragon lanterns can be used to light up the bed, which is said to give birth to a son. Wenchang County, the night of the Lantern Festival people steal green, steal in order to be scolded as a good omen, steal not in order not to be scolded as a good omen.

Yunnan Province

Yunlong County in the Lantern Festival before the welcome three Chong God, along the street shed sacrifice. Mile State one day after the Lantern Festival burning incense in the bridge, throwing stones in the water, and then take the water to wash their eyes, it is said to be able to go to the disease. Lantern Festival to eat Lantern Festival, is the *** with the customs across the country. This food first appeared in the Song Dynasty, the poet Jiang Baishi in a poem "Wing Lantern" wrote: "Your guests hook curtains to see the Royal Street, the city treasures a moment to. "The "treasures in the market" refers to the Lantern Festival. Zhou Bidai, a Song Dynasty poet, also wrote a poem entitled "Boiling Floating Dumplings on Lantern Festival": "What is the night of this evening, the reunion is the same. The soup officer inspects the old flavors, and the cook's maid is surprised by the new achievements. The stars are in the dark clouds, and the beads float in the cloudy water. The poem is a compilation of various chants at different times of the year, and is accompanied by a description of the family customs.

Taiwan

In Taiwan, there are still unmarried women in the Lantern Festival night to pick onions or vegetables will be married to a good husband of traditional customs, commonly known as: "Stealing onions, married a good inibs," "Stealing vegetables, married a good son-in-law," hoping that the marriage of the girl, to the night of the Lantern Festival, to the vegetables, to the night of the Lantern Festival, to the night of the Lantern Festival, to the night of the Lantern Festival to the vegetables, to the night of the Lantern Festival. To steal onions or vegetables in the night of the Lantern Festival to the vegetable garden, looking forward to the future of family happiness, the Tang Dynasty lantern market also appeared music and dance performance, thousands of courtesans, folk girls singing and dancing under the lights, called the line song, treading song.