Brief introduction

Lantern Festival,one of the traditional festivals in China, is also called Shangyuan Festival, the first month of the year, the new year's Eve or the Lantern Festival. The time is the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar.
The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar. The ancients called "night" as "Xiao". The fifteenth day of the first month is the first full moon night of the year, so the fifteenth day of the first month is called "Lantern Festival". According to the Taoist "Sanyuan", the 15th day of the first month is also called "Shangyuan Festival". Since ancient times, the Lantern Festival has been dominated by the warm and festive custom of watching lanterns.
The formation of the Lantern Festival has a long process, rooted in the ancient folk custom of turning on lights to pray for blessings. According to general information and folklore, the fifteenth day of the first month has been paid attention to in the Western Han Dynasty, but the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month really became a national folk festival after the Han and Wei dynasties. The rise of the custom of lighting lanterns on the 15th day of the first lunar month was also related to the eastward spread of Buddhism. In the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism flourished, and officials and people generally "lit lanterns for Buddha" on the 15th day of the first lunar month, so Buddhist lanterns spread all over the people. Since the Tang Dynasty, Lantern Festival lighting has become a legal matter.
Lantern Festival is one of the traditional festivals in China, Chinese character cultural circle and overseas Chinese. The lantern festival mainly includes a series of traditional folk activities, such as enjoying lanterns, eating Tangyuan, guessing lantern riddles and setting off fireworks. In addition, many local Lantern Festival also added dragon lantern, lion dance, stilts, rowing, Yangko, Taiping drum and other traditional folk performances. In June 2008, the Lantern Festival was selected as the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage.
On February 25, 2021, it's time for the Lantern Festival to enjoy the moon. Astronomy experts remind that an hour after sunset and around midnight are good times to watch the moon. Astronomical forecast shows that this year's Lantern Festival Lantern moon is "15 of the moon 16 round", the roundest time (hope) appears at 16:17 on the 27th.

Essential information

Alias:

Tianguan Festival,Spring Lantern Festival,Little first month,New year's Eve

Festival time:

the 15th day of the first lunar month

Festival types:

Chinese traditional festivals

Epidemic area:

China

The origin of festivals:

The custom of lighting lamps, the theory of offering sacrifices to Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, and the theory of commemorating Pacify the rebellion of Lv's relatives, etc

Festival activities:

Enjoy the lantern, pawn the boat, guess lantern riddles, play dragon lantern and walk on stilts

Festival Diet:

Yuanxiao, tangyuan

Set the time:

Han Dynasty

The origin of festivals

Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China. The formation of Lantern Festival custom has a long process, which is rooted in the folk custom of turning on lights and praying for blessings. On the 14th night of the first month, people usually begin to "test" the lamp. On the 15th night, people need to light the lamp, also known as "send the lamp", to carry out the activities of offering sacrifices to the gods and praying for blessings. The introduction of Buddhist culture in the Eastern Han Dynasty also played an important role in promoting the formation of the custom of the Lantern Festival. During the reign of emperor Yongping of the Han and Ming Dynasties, in order to promote Buddhism, Emperor Han and Ming ordered to "light lamps to show Buddhism" in the palace and temples on the 15th night of the first month. Therefore, the custom of lighting lamps on the 15th night of the first lunar month gradually expanded in China with the expansion of the influence of Buddhist culture and later the addition of Taoist culture. In the northern and Southern Dynasties, lantern festival became popular. Emperor Wu of Liang believed in Buddhism, and there were lights on the 15th day of the first month in his palace. In the Tang Dynasty, the cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries were closer, and Buddhism flourished. Officials and common people generally "lit lamps for Buddha" on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and Buddhist lights spread all over the people. Since the Tang Dynasty, Lantern Festival has become a legal matter.

Related Legend

It is said that the Lantern Festival was set up by Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty to commemorate "the relatives of pacifying Lu". After the death of Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty, Liu Ying, the son of empress Lu, became emperor Huidi of Han Dynasty. After the death of emperor Hui of Han Dynasty, empress Lu took charge of the government and turned Liu's family into Lu's family. The court's senior officials and Liu's clan were deeply indignant, but they were afraid of empress Lu's cruelty.
After empress Lu died, Lv's relatives were in a state of panic and fear of being hurt and excluded. Therefore, he gathered secretly in general Lu Lu's house and conspired to make trouble in order to capture Liu's land completely. Liu Xiang decided to fight against Zhulu in order to protect his family. Later, he got in touch with the founding ministers Zhou Bo and Chen Ping and designed to lift LV Lu. Finally, the rebellion of Lv's relatives was completely put down
After the pacification, all the officials supported Liu Bang's fourth son, Liu Heng, to become Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty. Emperor Wen deeply felt that peace and prosperity were hard won, so he set the 15th day of the first month, which was the first month to put an end to the "chaos of zhulv", as the day of sharing happiness with the people. Since then, the 15th day of the first month has become a popular festival - "Lantern Festival".
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the sacrificial activities of "Taiyi God" were set on the 15th day of the first month. (Mt. 1: God of the universe). It is said that when Sima Qian founded the "Taichu calendar", he already identified the Lantern Festival as a major festival.