The Lantern Festival of 202 1 has quietly arrived. There is little rainfall in northern China, and the weather in Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong and Hebei is fine, which is very suitable for enjoying the moon with lanterns. There will be a large-scale rainy weather process in southern China. Most areas such as Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, etc. will be rainy and rainy, and they can only reunite with their families at home for the holidays. Snowfall will occur in northwestern Heilongjiang, northern Xinjiang and southwestern Shaanxi, and you can enjoy the happiness brought by the Lantern Festival on snowy days.

As the 15th day of the first lunar month, Lantern Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in China and the Chinese world, also known as Shangyuan Festival. It first appeared in the Western Han Dynasty, and it was rooted in the people turning on the lights to pray. The introduction of Buddhism in the Eastern Han Dynasty also promoted the custom of Lantern Festival. Lantern lighting on the fifteenth night of the first month expanded with the influence of Buddhist culture. During the Tang dynasty, cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries became closer, Buddhism flourished, and Buddha's light shone on the people. The moon has also been given a special meaning in Buddhism. So Lantern Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival appear almost at the same time.

In ancient times, in order to drive away darkness, human beings gained light at night. Besides the moon providing light for human beings at night, lanterns are one of the best tools for human beings to drive away darkness. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival lights to enjoy the moon has become a good wish for people to pray for light. Lantern Festival is the first full moon night in a year. The custom of enjoying the moon mainly comes from the worship of the moon god, which is one of the immortals widely circulated among the people in China. Watching the moon is also to pray for the moon god to come to earth on the first full moon night of the new year and give people a very good blessing. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, there is also the custom of offering sacrifices to the moon god.

There are many customs in the Lantern Festival. In the south, we eat jiaozi, while in the north, we eat Yuanxiao, which means reunion and happiness. On the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, every household will make all kinds of lanterns to express people's wishes for Xu Guangming. People will also write riddles on lanterns for people to guess, adding joy and peace to the festival. There are also folk celebrations such as painting lanterns, walking on stilts and dancing lions. On the fifteenth day of the first month in rural areas, we will also welcome Ce Shen Zigu, a grass man made of straw, and then put it at the gate of the livestock fence, and then continue the sacrificial activities.

I also wish you all a happy 20021Lantern Festival, and remind friends who go out to play to keep warm and safe on happy days and have a happy Lantern Festival.