Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China. The formation of Lantern Festival custom has a long process, which is rooted in the folk custom of turning on lights to pray for blessings. Light-on and blessing usually begin on the 14th night of the first month, and the 15th night is the "positive light". People light lamps, also known as "sending lamps", for praying to the gods.

The introduction of Buddhist culture in the Eastern Han Dynasty also played an important role in promoting the formation of the Lantern Festival custom. During the Yongping period of Emperor Han Ming, in order to promote Buddhism, Emperor Han Ming ordered "burning lanterns to show Buddha" in the palace and temples on the fifteenth night of the first month. Therefore, the custom of burning lanterns on the fifteenth night of the first month gradually spread in China with the expansion of the influence of Buddhist culture and the addition of Taoist culture.

In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, lantern festival lights gradually became a trend. Liang Wudi believes in Buddhism, and the palace is full of lights on the 15th day of the first month. During the Tang Dynasty, cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries became closer, Buddhism flourished, and officials and ordinary people generally "burned lanterns to offer sacrifices to the Buddha" on the fifteenth day of the first month, so Buddhist lights spread all over the people. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been legal to display lanterns on Lantern Festival. ?

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, also known as Shangyuan Festival, Lantern Festival and Lantern Festival. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar. The ancients called the night "Xiao", so they called the fifteenth day of the first month "Lantern Festival". With the changes of society and times, the customs of Lantern Festival have changed greatly, but it is still a traditional folk festival in China.

Yuanxiao was only called the 15th day of the first month, the first half of the first month or the full moon when the early festivals were formed, and it was called Yuanxi or Yuanye after Sui. Influenced by Taoism in the early Tang Dynasty, it was also called Shangyuan, and it was only in the late Tang Dynasty that it was occasionally called Yuanxiao. But it has also been called Dengxi since the Song Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, it was also called Lantern Festival. In foreign countries, Yuanxiao is also known as The Lantern Festival.

On the night of the 15th day of the first month, people in China have a series of traditional folk activities, such as watching lanterns, eating glutinous rice balls, eating Yuanxiao, solve riddles on the lanterns and setting off fireworks.

Custom:

Lantern Festival is one of the traditional festivals in China. Lantern Festival mainly includes a series of traditional folk activities such as viewing lanterns, eating glutinous rice balls, solve riddles on the lanterns and setting off fireworks. In addition, traditional folk performances such as Youlong lanterns, lion dancing, walking on stilts, boating, yangko dancing and playing Taiping drums have been added to the Lantern Festival in many places.

The origin of the name of glutinous rice balls

19 13, Yuan Shikai was unlucky because of the homonym of "Yuanxiao" and "Yuanxiao", and ordered to change the name of "Yuanxiao" to "Tangyuan". Someone wrote a limerick on this matter: "The poem goes back to the previous dynasty, and the water floats when it is steamed and boiled." Hong xian issued a ban that year, and it is not allowed to shout Yuanxiao along the street. " Since then, the name of glutinous rice balls has gradually become popular.

The Significance of Eating Tangyuan

Eating Yuanxiao on the fifteenth day of the first month is the same as eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival, which implies family reunion. On New Year's Day (this Spring Festival), it was also used as a sacrifice to ancestors to express grief and respect for the dead. During the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, Hunan's "Baling County Records" said: "Yuanye" is made into glutinous rice balls, that is, eating Yuanxiao, and Yuanyuan has the same language, and it has finished its meaning. "

It can be seen that "Tangyuan" and "Reunion" are similar in pronunciation, implying reunion, symbolizing the reunion of the whole family, harmony and happiness, and people also miss their parting relatives and place their good wishes for the future life.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Lantern Festival

Reference to the above content: People's Network-Talking about Lantern Festival