Lanterns in China are also called lanterns, and there is an idiom called decorating lanterns, which is actually about the lantern culture in China. In fact, there were no lanterns in ancient China, such as Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. In ancient times, working people used candles or Shi Huo for lighting. The earliest lanterns in China originated in the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, when they were decorations for the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month.
From then on, lanterns symbolize the meaning of reunion, especially red lanterns, which symbolize the meaning of rich life! So when you are in gear, if it is a festive event, it is a red lantern. If it's a funeral, it must be white. If it is for children, it can be colored or immature, such as pink.
So from then on, when people have happy events at home, they will hang red lanterns high in front of the door. Just like Zhang Yimou's earliest movie "Hang the Red Lantern High", his landlord married Gong Li's fourth aunt and hung the red lantern high. In that tall city wall, the red lantern has become a symbol of love, so aunts often use it to be jealous.
The audience who watched the film carefully must have found such a phenomenon. When people in China use lanterns, they must be even rather than odd. When hanging lanterns, they must be hung on both sides of the door, not just one side, which is related to the symmetry of people in China.
If this kind of lantern is hung for indoor lighting, it must be several sizes smaller than the lantern at the door, especially at the gate, so as not to distract the guests, because in the concept of China people, the door is much bigger than the house. Because a door represents a family, there is a term called portal!
The words written on lanterns in different festivals are different. If it's Chinese New Year, you can write "Fu", if it's extra time at home, you can write "Xi", if it's a birthday, you can write "Shou", and if it's a funeral, you must write "Li". Moreover, when writing happy characters or numbers, you can use yellow or black pigments, but once the funeral is over, you must use black pigments to write.