What's the meaning of Lantern Festival?

What's the meaning of Lantern Festival? Lantern Festival is one of the important festivals in China. It is called Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month. In the traditional concept, the year is really over only after the fifteenth day of the first month, when you have eaten Lantern Festival. Let's know what's the meaning of Lantern Festival. What's the meaning of Lantern Festival?

What's the meaning of Lantern Festival

And Lantern Festival is regarded as the last climax of the Spring Festival, because after this day, people will really enter the new year's production and life, so people celebrate the Lantern Festival all over the country to pray for God to bless the good weather and good crops in the coming year, which also expresses people's good expectations for the New Year. Because of this, there is a folk custom of "Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month" in China.

This traditional festival, which has been passed down for more than 2, years, is not only popular in the north and south of the Yangtze River, but also celebrated year after year in areas inhabited by overseas Chinese. During the Lantern Festival, people will go out of their homes and pour into the streets. Apart from lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns, there are also dragon dances, lion dances, walking on stilts, roller boating and knocking on Zhoushan gongs and drums ... Among them, many customs and activities are national intangible cultural heritage. Going out to enjoy the moon, burning lamps and setting off flames, enjoying solve riddles on the lanterns, eating Lantern Festival and celebrating the festival together, let the masses participate in it, and enjoy the aesthetic memory left by these intangible cultural heritages.

In fact, the Lantern Festival is not an isolated festival, but a part of the Spring Festival. To understand the significance of Lantern Festival, we have to put it in the Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival begins with the closing of doors on New Year's Eve, and ends with the Lantern Festival, which is a process in which people constantly expand their activities and interpersonal relationships. New Year greetings to parents on the first day, and New Year greetings to parents on the second day. In the future, we will gradually expand the scope of New Year greetings to ordinary relatives and friends. During this period, people's activities are limited to acquaintances. The fifth day is the fifth day, so farm work can start and shops can open. During this period, society began to operate normally. On the fifteenth day of the first month, all members of society, regardless of sex, age and age, joined in the festival activities. Therefore, the Lantern Festival has the significance of confirming the relationship between all members of society (including those who don't know each other).

Lantern Festival is a real "carnival" of the whole society, and ancient women who were confined to their homes at ordinary times were free to go out and play. Of course, some people with etiquette opposed this custom, such as Sima Guang in the Song Dynasty. At midnight snack, his wife dressed up and prepared to go out to enjoy the lights. Sima Guang asked, "Why do you have to look out when you light a lamp at home?" The lady replied, "I also want to see tourists." Sima Guang said, "Is someone (me) a ghost? !” This is unreasonable. You can't just let your wife look at him all the year round, can you? Fortunately, society does not buy the accounts of these proprietors, and most women still play. The Lantern Festival allows people to entertain freely, which is an outlet designed by ancient society for the overly strict etiquette system. Some young people took the opportunity to meet the right person. Just as Xin Qiji said: "The crowd looked for him for thousands of Baidu, and suddenly looking back, the man was in the dim light."

The main activity of Lantern Festival is mass entertainment, but its social and cultural significance is not just entertainment.

There are many religious activities on the fifteenth day of the first month, so please pray for the blessing of the gods. Ancient people offered sacrifices to Taiyi (Taiyi) God, because he was the highest God and was in charge of human destiny. Sacrifice to him, you can get a bumper harvest and peace. The ancients offered sacrifices to the gods of the earth to bless the harvest of silkworms.

Lantern Festival is also a festival for seeking children. In the Song Dynasty, Chen Yuanliang's Book of Years Old, Volume 12, Stealing Lamp, explained why people stole lamps at the Lantern Festival at that time, saying, "A cloud, whoever steals lamps, bodes well for men." Here, the homonym of "light" is "ding", which is male. In this way, stealing the lamp symbolizes giving birth to a son. By the same token, watching lanterns also has the meaning of seeking children. Therefore, ancient women went out to watch the lights with this reason, which was justified. Until the Republic of China, there was a custom of sending lanterns to childless families everywhere, wishing them more children. In the Qing Dynasty, there were activities to touch the gate nails. Nail, also homophonic "Ding". People hope to have a son by touching the doornail. People in some areas also give the dumplings a symbolic meaning.

Of course, in today's huge population pressure, the activities of begging for children in Yuanxiao are rarely seen. Modern people have given dumplings a new explanation, that is, sweet and sweet, round and round, symbolizing family reunion and happiness. It is in line with people's inner hopes. The Lantern Festival has gained new cultural significance.

Lantern Festival custom

Eat Yuanxiao

Eat glutinous rice balls, and some places call it Yuanxiao. There is not much difference between the two, but there are differences between the north and the south. Eating glutinous rice balls on the 15th day of the first month is a traditional custom of the Lantern Festival, which means reunion and reunion, and the older generation values harmony. It is always hoped that every family will be harmonious and beautiful in the new year, and everything will be reunion and reunion, and we will eat a bowl of glutinous rice balls with the elderly. It is a good sign to send lanterns. In ancient times, before the Lantern Festival, newly married couples always received flowers from their parents.

Playing with dragon lanterns

Since ancient times, China people have regarded themselves as descendants of the dragon, because the dragon symbolizes good fortune and wealth. In the Lantern Festival, dancing dragon lanterns together adds festive atmosphere to the festival. Now many parks hold the Lantern Festival and so on, which is estimated to have evolved from here.

Ying Zigu

According to the old legend, Zigu was a kind and beautiful woman, forced by life, and became a concubine of the rich, but she was envied by others and died unjustly in the toilet. Later, she was named Ce Shen. On the night of the Lantern Festival, people would make a model of Zigu with straw to sacrifice her and pray for her to bless her family's health and peace.

Treading on stilts

Treading on stilts is one of the traditional activities of the Han nationality. Every holiday, people will move out and step on stilts together to celebrate with great excitement. At the same time, walking on stilts is also a traditional opera with various forms and is deeply loved by ordinary people.

A hundred diseases

In ancient northern China, on the 15th or 16th day of the first month, women would go out for a walk in groups, or walk by the bridge, or grope for children at the gate wall, and return home at night. Walking away from all diseases is also called walking away from the old appearance. After experiencing the cold winter, the old people will also go out for a walk to stretch their bones and muscles, and the more they live, the younger they are.

Origin of Lantern Festival

In ancient times, people called night "Xiao", and the first month was January according to the laws of the lunar calendar, so the first full moon night in the new year was called "Lantern Festival". As the first important festival after the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival is not only celebrated by Chinese people all over the world, but also has a long history.

In fact, since ancient times, there has been a folk custom of "turning on the lights and praying for blessings", that is, on the evening of the 15th day of the first month, the tried lamps are put into the river to worship and pray for the gods.

With the traditional custom of "turning on the lights to pray for blessings" in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it has the meaning of "burning the lights to show Buddha". By the time of the Tang Dynasty, Chinese and Western cultures had further close exchanges and contacts, and Buddhism had become the mainstream culture. Up to the officials and ministers in the DPRK and down to the market, thousands of people would "burn lanterns to worship Buddha" on the fifteenth day of the first month. As a result, it became a legal thing to decorate the Lantern Festival. However, the official name of "Yuanxiao" was formed in the late Tang Dynasty. It was called "Lantern Festival" in the Song Dynasty and "Lantern Festival" in the Qing Dynasty. What is the significance of the Lantern Festival? 2

Why do you want to eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival?

It symbolizes reunion.

Eating Yuanxiao is an ancient traditional custom, and its shape is very round, so eating Yuanxiao also means reunion, peace and happiness. Therefore, eating Yuanxiao at the Lantern Festival places people's wishes for a better life.

Nourishing the body

Yuanxiao is made by grinding glutinous rice into powder. The glutinous rice is flat and sweet, and has the functions of invigorating spleen, stimulating appetite, tonifying deficiency, regulating blood, invigorating qi, stopping diarrhea, promoting fluid production and moistening dryness. At the same time, glutinous rice is rich in protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus and other mineral components, which can play a certain role in nourishing the body after eating.

Are Yuanxiao and Tangyuan the same thing?

No.

Yuanxiao and Tangyuan are not the same thing. On the Lantern Festival, the north eats Yuanxiao, while the south eats Tangyuan. Although Yuanxiao and Tangyuan are similar in appearance, they are also different, and they are different in making techniques and taste.

the difference between yuanxiao and tangyuan

the difference in practice

yuanxiao: the filling is mainly made, then it is cut into small pieces, and then the filling is put in a basket filled with glutinous rice flour and shaken to the outside, and a thick glutinous rice coat is rolled on it.

glutinous rice balls: The making process of glutinous rice balls is more like wrapping jiaozi. You should first wake up glutinous rice flour, then make stuffing, and wrap the stuffing into the woken dough and knead it.

Taste difference

Yuanxiao: The skin of Yuanxiao is very smooth, so it tastes delicate, and the filling of Yuanxiao will contain more water, so it will flow out easily when you bite it.

Tangyuan: In contrast, the skin of Tangyuan will be stronger, so it will be chewy, and the soup cooked with Tangyuan will be sticky.

differences in cooking methods

yuanxiao: besides boiling, yuanxiao can also be eaten by frying, so its taste will be richer.

Tangyuan: Generally, Tangyuan can only be boiled in water, but it is easier to cook than Yuanxiao, and it usually takes about 3-5 minutes to cook.

why should lanterns be hung on the Lantern Festival

to increase the festive atmosphere.

On the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month, there is a folk custom of hanging lanterns, so the fifteenth day of the first month is also called "Lantern Festival". Before the fifteenth day of the first month comes, the streets will be full of lanterns, full of flowers and swaying lights, which can create a festive atmosphere and add a festive atmosphere. And most lanterns are red, which is also a symbol of good luck. What is the significance of the Lantern Festival? 3

The difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan

1. Different methods

Tangyuan is wrapped and its skin is smooth and sticky.

Yuanxiao is rolled out, and its skin is dry and soft.

Tangyuan is made by using hot water or cold water to make raw glutinous rice flour into dough, and then putting all kinds of stuffing pericardium into it and rubbing it into a round shape;

Yuanxiao is to make a fixed filling, cut it into small pieces, dip it in water, then shake it on the sieve full of raw glutinous rice flour, sprinkle some water while shaking it, and roll it into a ball when the filling is completely powdered.

2. Different stuffing choices

The stuffing of glutinous rice balls is soft, and there are many choices of salty, sweet and meat.

The filling of Yuanxiao is hard, and it is generally single and sweet.

In addition to the traditional five kernels, red bean paste and hawthorn cake, there are many kinds of dumplings with coarse grains, fruits and flowers, as well as roasted meat with dried plum and fresh meat with mushrooms.

In contrast, Yuanxiao is much more specific, mainly sweet, and black sesame seeds and red bean paste are common fillings.

3. Different eating methods

Tangyuan is mostly cooked and fried.

Yuanxiao is mostly fried or cooked.

If the dumplings are cooked, it takes a short time to cook, and it takes about 3-5 minutes to float. The boiled soup is clear soup.

If you cook Yuanxiao, it takes a long time to cook, often more than 1 minutes. The boiled soup becomes muddy because of the water absorption of raw glutinous rice flour.

4. Different storage methods

Tangyuan can be frozen, so its shelf life is longer.

yuanxiao is easy to crack when frozen, so its shelf life is short.

because dumplings are easy to store, frozen dumplings can be bought all over the country and eaten all over the country. Some areas in the south will eat glutinous rice balls in the Spring Festival, winter solstice and other solar terms.

However, Yuanxiao is easy to crack after being stored for a few days or frozen, so it can usually be made on-site and sold on the same day only in the north, but it is more festive.

The taboo population of Yuanxiao

Diabetic patients: Yuanxiao has a high sugar content. If the patient craves the delicious food, his blood sugar will rise sharply, which will not only aggravate his illness, but also induce ketoacidosis.

Patients with ulcer disease: Eating Yuanxiao can increase gastric acid secretion, aggravate the stimulation to ulcer surface, and even induce gastric bleeding and gastric perforation in severe cases.

people with poor gastrointestinal digestive function: Yuanxiao is made of glutinous rice flour, which is sticky and difficult to digest. After eating, it can cause stomach pain, bloating, belching, acid regurgitation and even diarrhea.

Patients with acute gastroenteritis: The gastrointestinal tract is in a state of congestion and edema. Patients should eat easily digestible foods such as rice soup and lotus root starch, and eating Yuanxiao will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.

Patients with high fever: The gastrointestinal tract of patients is relatively inhibited when they have fever, so they should eat some easily digestible food such as liquid food, otherwise it will aggravate their illness.

Patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia and gout: These patients are in danger of aggravating their illness by eating Yuanxiao, so it is advisable to eat less.

Patients who have recovered from a long illness: Although the appetite has improved, the digestive function is still weak, and excessive eating of Yuanxiao is not conducive to recovery.

The elderly and infirm: These people have decreased digestive function and lost teeth, especially the elderly are slow in swallowing reflex, which may cause the Lantern Festival to get stuck in the throat due to rapid swallowing, leading to dyspnea and even suffocation and death.

Infants: Children's digestive function is weak, and their swallowing reflex has not been fully developed, so they can't eat the whole Yuanxiao, so they should eat it in quarters, and then eat the second bite after eating one bite. Be sure to chew slowly in case something goes wrong.