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Celebration of the Lantern Festival
Wrapping Up Lunar New Year Activities
By the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
Falling on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Year, the
Lantern Festival takes place under a full moon, and marks the end of
Chinese New Year festivities. The Lantern Festival dates back to
shrouded legends of the Han Dynasty over 2000 years ago.
In one such legend, the Jade Emperor in Heaven was so angered at a
town for killing his favorite goose that he decided to destroy it with a
storm of fire. However, a good-hearted fairy heard of this act of
vengeance, and warned the people of the town to light lanterns
throughout the town on the appointed day. The townsfolk did as they were
told, and from the Heavens, it looked as if the village was ablaze.
Satisfied that his goose had already been avenged, the Jade Emperor
decided not to destroy the town. From that day on, people celebrated the
anniversary of their deliverance by carried lanterns of different shapes
and colors through the streets on the first full moon of the year,
providing a spectacular backdrop for lion dances, dragon dances, and
fireworks.
While the Lantern Festival has changed very little over the last two
millennia, technological advances have made the celebration more and
more complex and visually stimulating. Indeed, the festival as
celebrated in some places (such as Taipei, Taiwan) can put even the most
garish American Christmas decorations to shame. They often sport unique
displays of light that leave the viewer in awe.
Master craftsman will construct
multicolored paper lanterns in the likeness of butterflies, dragons,
birds, dragonflies, and many other animals; these accentuate the more
common, red, spherical lanterns. Brilliantly-lit floats and mechanically
driven light displays draw the attention of the young and old alike.
Sometimes, entire streets are blocked off, with lanterns mounted above
and to the sides, creating a hallway of lamps. Some cities in North
China even make lanterns from blocks of ice! And just as in days gone
by, the billion-watt background sets the scene for dragon and lion
dances, parades, and other festivities.
Yuan Xiao and Tang Yuan are balls of glutinous rice, sometimes rolled
around a filling of sesame, peanuts, vegetable, or meat. Tang Yuan are
often cooked in red-bean or other kinds of soup. The round shape
symbolizes wholeness and unity.
Article copyrighted ©2000 by The Chinese
Culture Center of San Francisco at http://www.c-c-c.org/home.html and
used here with permission. Please do not reproduce article or images
without express written permission from the CCC of SanFrancisco. Images:
Top -"Lantern depicting 4 Chinese Beauties"; Bottom-"Chiang Kai Shek
Memorial in Taipei, 1998, Year of the Tiger". |
