The Chinese Lantern Festival
There are really two Chinese lantern festivals. The first formally concludes the traditional celebrations of each lunar new year, and the second takes place in the fall and is part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Both lantern festivals feature lanterns of every size, design and material, that come to life at dusk with candlelight, bringing beauty, color and enjoyment wherever they go.
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Origin And History
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The spring lantern festival is called "Yuen Siu" in Cantonese, and originated in China about 2,000 years ago. This festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar new year and is the grand finale of the new year festivities. Decades ago, it was customary for people to observe the full two weeks of festival activities and events. However, today Chinese communities place the emphasis on the first three days of the lunar new year, when most of the celebrating and visiting one another take place.
Competitions And Puzzles
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The variety of festival lanterns is part of the fun. Lanterns of every size, shape and color dominate the spring lantern festival. In places like Hong Kong, school children participate in lantern making competitions. The winning entries receive prizes and form special displays at local parks where people can enjoy viewing them. Solving riddles and puzzles attached to festival lanterns remains a popular amusement. It derives from the time when Chinese scholars would create intricate puzzles that perhaps only their fellow scholars could decipher.
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Chinese Valentine's Day
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Centuries ago, the spring lantern festival provided young men and women the rare opportunity to be out and about in public on this one night, ostensibly to view the lanterns. They could also see one another, though perhaps just at a distance and discreetly, because strict decorum ruled their conduct. The festival became "Chinese Valentine's Day" by some accounts.
Lantern Forms
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Birds are a popular subject for lanterns. Yuen Siu lanterns come in a wide array of shapes, from birds and animals to cars, planes and rockets, among many other imaginative designs. Most are made of paper on soft wood frames and are just for seasonal display and fun for children. Whereas these lanterns used to hold single candles, most now feature battery-operated candles that are not fire hazards.
Mid-Autumn Lantern Customs
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The Mid-Autumn Festival usually falls in September, on the 15th day of the eighth month by the lunar calendar. Moon cakes are the most famous festival treat, but festive lanterns are a close second. It is customary for families to get together over an evening meal on the festival eve, after which they go out, the youngest children carrying their prized, lit lanterns. It is quite a sight to behold, a sea of light and a myriad of colorful lanterns dancing through the streets and in parks and playgrounds where families gather. Another attraction is the full moon overhead, a customary Mid-Autumn Festival delight.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Goldfish Lanterns image by Toronto Canada from Fotolia.com chinese lanterns image by Karin Lau from Fotolia.com chinese lantern image by Luisafer from Fotolia.com
