Legend has it that a long time ago, there were many fierce birds and beasts that hurt people and livestock everywhere, so people organized themselves to beat them. A god bird was trapped and landed on earth, but was accidentally shot dead by an unsuspecting hunter. The Emperor of Heaven was very angry when he learned about it. He immediately sent a decree and ordered the heavenly soldiers to set fire to the earth on the 15th day of the first month, and burned all the human and animal property.

The daughter of Emperor Tiandi was kind-hearted. She couldn't bear to see the innocent suffering of the people, so she risked her life and secretly drove Xiangyun to the world to tell people the news. When people heard the news, it was like a thunderclap on their heads. I was so scared that I didn't know what to do. It was a long time before an old man came up with an idea. He said, "On the 14th, 15th and 16th of the first month, every family decorated their houses, lit firecrackers and set off fireworks. In this way, the Emperor of Heaven will think that people have been burned to death.

Everyone nodded and agreed, and then they were ready to go separately. On the night of the fifteenth day of the first month, the Emperor looked down and found that the world was red and the noise was deafening for three consecutive nights. He thought it was the flame of a big fire, and his heart was so happy. In this way, people saved their lives and property. In order to commemorate this success, every household hangs lanterns and sets off fireworks to commemorate this day on the fifteenth day of the first month.

Legend 2 of Lantern Festival: Dong Fangshuo and Yuanxiao Girl

According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had a favorite named Dong Fangshuo, who was kind and funny. One winter, it snowed heavily for several days, and Dong Fangshuo went to the Imperial Garden to fold plum blossoms for Emperor Wu. As soon as I entered the garden gate, I found a maid-in-waiting in tears ready to throw herself into the well. It turns out that this maid-in-waiting is named Yuanxiao, and there are parents and a sister at home. Every year, when spring comes, I feel that I can't be filial to my parents, so I might as well die. Dong Fangshuo was deeply sympathetic to what happened to her and assured her that she would try to reunite her with her family.

A few days later, Dong Fangshuo left the palace and set up a divination booth on Chang 'an Avenue. Many people are vying to ask him for divination. Unexpectedly, what everyone wants is the signature of "the sixteenth day of the first month burns us". People are asking for solutions to the disaster.

Dong Fangshuo said, "On the evening of the fifteenth day of the first month, Vulcan will send a goddess in red to visit the earth. She is the messenger who ordered the burning of Chang 'an. I will give you the transcribed poems, so that today's emperors can do something." Say that finish, then dropped a red post and roared off. The common people picked up the red post and quickly sent it to the palace to report to the emperor.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty took it and saw that it said, "Chang 'an is robbing, the imperial palace is being burned by fire, and the fire is burning for fifteen days, and the midnight snack is red." He was so frightened that he quickly invited Dong Fangshuo, who was resourceful. Dong Fangshuo thought for a while, then said, "I heard that Vulcan loves to eat glutinous rice balls. Doesn't Yuanxiao in the palace often make glutinous rice balls for you?

Let Yuanxiao make dumplings on 15th night. Long live the incense and offerings, and command every family in Kyoto to make dumplings and worship Vulcan together. Then tell the subjects to hang lights together on the fifteenth night, light firecrackers and set off fireworks all over the city, which seems to be a fire all over the city, so that the jade emperor can be fooled. In addition, inform the people outside the city that they will go to the city to watch the lights on the fifteenth night, and they will eliminate disasters and solve problems in the crowd. " After hearing this, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very happy, so he ordered him to do it according to Dong Fangshuo's way.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, Chang 'an city was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and tourists were bustling and very lively. The parents of the maid-in-waiting Yuanxiao also took their sister to the city to watch the lights. When they saw the big palace lantern with the words "Yuanxiao" written on it, they shouted in surprise: "Yuanxiao! Lantern Festival! " When Yuanxiao heard the shouts, she was finally reunited with her relatives at home.

After such a busy night, Chang 'an was safe. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was overjoyed, so he ordered that glutinous rice balls should be made for Vulcan every fifteenth day of the first month, and the whole city would hang lights and set off fireworks on the fifteenth day of the first month. Because Yuanxiao makes the best dumplings, people call them Yuanxiao, and this day is called Lantern Festival.

the lantern festival

Besides the well-known lanterns, eating glutinous rice balls and solve riddles on the lanterns, I also collected a lot of things I didn't know, so I'd like to share them with you here.

Play dragon lantern

Also known as dragon lantern or dragon dance.

walk on stilts

It is a popular folk mass performance.

lion dance

Lion dance is an excellent folk art in China. Every Lantern Festival or assembly celebration, people always come to entertain with lion dance.

Dry boating

Rowing a dry boat, folklore is to commemorate Dayu who has made great contributions to water control.

Sacrifice door and household

In ancient times, there were "seven sacrifices", which were two of them. The method of sacrifice is to insert poplar branches above the door, insert a pair of chopsticks in a bowl filled with bean porridge, or put wine and meat directly in front of the door.

Rat chase

Rat-chasing is a traditional folk activity during the Lantern Festival, which began in Wei and Jin Dynasties. Mainly for sericulture families. Because mice often eat silkworms in large areas at night, it is said that mice can stop eating silkworms by feeding them rice porridge on the fifteenth day of the first month.

Send a child lamp

Referred to as "sending lanterns" for short, it is also called "sending lanterns", that is, before the Lantern Festival, the bride's family sends lanterns to her newly married daughter's home, or ordinary relatives and friends give them to the newly married infertile home in order to add good luck, because "lamp" is homophonic with "Ding".

Yingzigu

Zigu is also called Qigu, and in the north, it is called toilet aunt and pit aunt. The ancient folk custom is to offer sacrifices to Ce Shen Zigu on the 15th day of the first month, and to divine silkworm and mulberry, which accounts for many things.

Walking sickness

"Walking through all diseases", also known as swimming through all diseases, dispersing all diseases, baking all diseases, walking across the bridge, etc., is an activity to eliminate disasters and pray for health. On the night of Lantern Festival, women meet and travel together, and when they see a bridge, they must cross it, thinking that this can cure diseases and prolong life.