China is an amazing and mysterious country for a European citizen. Here is a special atmosphere and culture, which has more than one millennium. The peculiarity of its inhabitants is that they managed to preserve very many of their traditions. And the Lantern Festival in China is one of those.
Appearance story
The inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom call him Yuanxiaojie and he appeared 180 years BC The name of the Lantern Festival in China is translated as follows: "yuan" - "first, initial", "xiao" - "night", and "jie" - "holiday". The celebration is held according to the lunar calendar: the 15th day of the first month is the first night of the year when the full moon comes. Therefore, this is the name of this event.
The Chinese believe that from this day spring comes. According to historical data, in China, Buddhism became especially popular during the Han era. When the emperor found out that the monks have a tradition of meditating on the relics of the Buddha and lighting the lanterns as a sign of respect and respect, he ordered the lanterns to be lit on the same day in his palace and temples.
The lantern festival in China was liked by ordinary people. And in 104 BC he received the status of state. And in the 7th century A.D. the emperor issued a new decree that allowed residents to spend festivities all night. And in some provinces of the Celestial Empire, there is still a tradition to organize bright beautiful show of lanterns. And this is just an amazing sight.
The date of the lantern festival - the 15th day of the first month according to the lunar calendar - is February-March, but the number changes every year. On this day, it is customary to get together for a family dinner and to launch a salute together. The main color of the holiday is red, because among the inhabitants of China it is considered the color of success and wealth. But not only this color is popular, because only on this day people can admire the beauty of lanterns throughout the country.
The legend of the holiday
There are other legends about how this holiday came about. Here is one of the most famous: a very long time ago a man accidentally killed a sacred bird of the Heavenly Emperor. Then the angry ruler ordered the general to burn all the people.
But one of his daughters with the kindest heart hastened to warn the poor inhabitants. One of the wise people suggested that each family light a red lamp to outwit the cruel general. And people managed to do it.
The general was only about to carry out the imperial order, when he saw that many red lights were burning. He was surprised and delighted that it was possible to do everything very quickly, and reported on the successfully completed task to the emperor. And people remained safe and sound.
What are the lights made
At this event you can see them in all their diversity and splendor. The Lantern Festival in China is one of the main events for the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. After all, he is one of the most ambitious and vibrant events in the country. Especially for its celebration, several thousand lanterns are made, most of which are works of art.
At the festival you can see frameless products, when you look at them it seems that they are made of frosted glass. They can pour water and they will rotate. There are also lanterns decorated with beautiful carvings or threads with beads strung on them. They can be made in the form of animals: both existing and mythological.
At the festival you will definitely see lanterns that have been worn since ancient times. These are paper products decorated with mythological paintings or with a national pattern. They rotate due to exposure to air. And this is due to a candle burning inside him.
How is the celebration
The Lantern Festival in China is very large-scale and vibrant. Another major part of the event is solving puzzles. They are attached to the lights. This custom appeared during the reign of the Song Dynasty. And it is popular because there are not just riddles, they contain folk wisdom.
Each person who has a flashlight attaches to its bottom a piece of paper in which a riddle is written. Everyone who wants to guess it reads it and speaks the answer. If he turned out to be correct, he receives a small gift.
The main symbol of the Chinese lantern festival is the tiger, because with the onset of spring the sun goes into the constellation "White Tiger". Even houses are decorated with daffodils: this flower has become a symbol of spring long ago, during the reign of the Song Dynasty.
During the celebration, people go to visit each other and arrange lush feasts. A compulsory dish is steamed rice cakes in the form of balls filled with jam or jam. They are associated with the full moon.
According to Chinese belief, the family who tasted this dish together will be strong and happy. And, of course, one of the distinguishing features of this holiday is a large number of sounds made by various musical instruments. Also, residents dance on city streets. Participation in the procession take dragons made of lanterns.
Traditional dishes
The Lantern Festival has another name - Yuanxiao. This is the name of the obligatory dish for this event. These rice balls can be cooked not only steamed, but also cook and fry. The filling can be anything - sweet ingredients or nuts. You can use very unusual components, for example, rose petals, soybean paste or jojoba paste. Some make salt filling for balls.
You can use only one product or mix several components. This name was given to sweet rice balls because they eat the dish at night ("xiao") when the full moon ("yuan") appears.
How is the holiday in Chinese cities
China is known for its diversity: each province has original traditions, everywhere holidays are celebrated in a special way. For example, in the city of Harbin, which is located in the northern part of the country, an exhibition of lanterns made of ice is organized. This is just a magnificent sight. Masters carve out various shapes from ice blocks that fabulously shimmer due to the lamps inserted in them.
And in Guangdong province, in the city of Foshan, painted lanterns are made: all the drawings are laid out from sesame seeds. Therefore, the people they are also called "edible lanterns."
Tourists reviews
You can see the photo of the Lantern Festival in China. Most tourists dream of visiting this country to see such a bright and large-scale event. Those who visited this festival note the high level of Chinese masters who manage to create a work of art even from a paper lantern.
Guests are also surprised at how many people honor this holiday. And they admire not only the organization of the event, but also the fact that all residents observe the traditions of its celebration. Yuanxiaojie Lantern Festival in China is one of the brightest. Having visited it, you can better get acquainted with the traditions and culture of this country.