Lantern Festival Customs

1. Watching lanterns and guessing lantern riddles

Since the formation of the custom of lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival, all dynasties have observed lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Lanterns are a major event.

There are riddles hung on the lanterns for people to guess, which are widely circulated.

The most important activity of the Lantern Festival in old Beijing was lantern viewing. One of the essential ways to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Shanxi is to hang lanterns. When the Lantern Festival comes, every household hangs up all kinds of lanterns.

During the Lantern Festival in Nanxiong, Guangdong, parents take the dragon's whiskers from the dragon lantern and tie them with their children. It is said that the children will be free from diseases. He also took the remaining candles from the dragon lantern and shone them under the bed. It is said that it can give birth to a precious child.

2. Eating Yuanxiao

Yuanxiao is a must-have food for the Lantern Festival, regardless of whether it is in the north or the south, but there are differences in the names of the north and the south. But whether it is Lantern Festival or glutinous rice balls, it is one of the important customs of Lantern Festival in various places.

3. Dragon Lantern Dance

Dragon Lantern Dance is also called dragon dance. In the minds of the ancients, the dragon has the function of calling for wind and rain, eliminating disasters and epidemics. The ancients hoped to be blessed by the dragon, so the dragon lantern dance became a Lantern Festival activity.

4. Stilt walking and lion dance

Stilt walking is a popular mass performance among the people. It is one of the hundreds of ancient Chinese operas that appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period.

Lion dance, during the Lantern Festival or gatherings and celebrations, people use lion dance to add to the fun. This custom originated during the Three Kingdoms period and became popular during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has a history of more than a thousand years.

5. Land boat rowing

Land boat rowing is also called land boat running. According to legend, it is to commemorate Dayu who made great achievements in controlling floods. It imitates the boat rowing on land.

6. Sacrifice to doors and households

In ancient times, there were "seven sacrifices", and these are two of them. The method of offering sacrifices is to insert poplar branches above the door, insert a pair of chopsticks into the bowl of bean porridge, or place wine and meat directly in front of the door.

7. Chasing rats

It was mainly carried out by silkworm farmers in the old days. It is said that people cooked porridge on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and put it in a place where rats were infested. The mouse is cursed to die miserably if it eats silkworm babies again.

8. Sending lanterns to children

Before the Lantern Festival, the natal family sends lanterns to the newly married daughter’s family, or ordinary relatives and friends give them to the newlyweds’ infertile family, in order to wish good luck for the birth (“ "Deng" is homophonic to "ding").

9. Welcome Zigu

In ancient folk custom, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it was necessary to welcome Zigu, the toilet god, and offer sacrifices to divine sericulture and fortune-telling.

10. Get rid of all diseases

It is an activity to eliminate disasters and pray for health. On the night of the Lantern Festival, women meet to go out together and cross bridges whenever they see them, believing that this can cure diseases and prolong life.

11. Stealing vegetables

In Taiwan, there is a traditional custom that unmarried women will marry good husbands if they steal vegetables on the Lantern Festival night. Girls who want a happy marriage should steal vegetables on the Lantern Festival night. Go to the vegetable garden and steal vegetables.

Some places in Guizhou also have similar customs.

The "stealing" scope of Sichuan Lantern Festival is wider, and there is a custom of "four stealings": "One steals glutinous rice balls, two steals greens, three steals eaves lanterns, and four steals reds." In addition to stealing greens to strengthen the body, , the rest are all customs for seeking children.

In addition, many places also have some activities with local characteristics.

Set off fireworks and perform arts on the street, which are must-haves for Shanxi Lantern Festival.

In southern Fujian, there is a custom of children from two villages throwing stones at each other during the Lantern Festival. It is said that if the stones were not thrown, a plague would surely break out in that village.

In some places in Henan, wonton soup is eaten during the Lantern Festival, which is called "reunion tea". The parents' families take their married daughters home to celebrate the festival.

Shaanxi also has the custom of entertaining daughters and sons-in-law during the Lantern Festival, which is called "eating fifteen". They also send lamps and oil, which is called "adding oil".

Hangzhou folklore says that the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the day when the Heavenly Official of Shangyuan bestows blessings. People often fast, chant sutras, and go to Mount Wu to worship.