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The Lantern Festival of 2012 falls on February 6.

The Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Festival (pinyin: Yuánxi?ojié) or Shang Yuan Festival (pinyin: Shàngyuánjié) in China is a festival celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Year, the last day of the Lunar Chinese New Year celebration. During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night to temples carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns . It officially ends the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Customs and Activities:


Admire lanterns

The custom of admiring beautiful lanterns dates back to the Han Dynasty (206BC–220AD). When night falls, the streets, squares and parks are decorated with a variety of colorful lanterns, including flower lanterns, figure lanterns, palace lanterns, wall lamps, animal lanterns, revolving horse lanterns and toy lanterns. The sparkling lights make a bustling atmosphere.

Solve lantern riddles

Lantern riddles are written on the lanterns displayed during the festival. The riddles can be also pasted on the walls for public entertainment or for private recreation.

Eat Yuanxiao

On Lantern Festival, people eat yuanxiao, or tangyuan (rice dumplings), which gives the festival another name "Yuanxiao Festival." Yuanxiao are small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour with sesame, rose, dried fruit, jujube paste, sugar, walnut as filling. As "Yuan" means reunion in Chinese, people eat yuanxiao to symbolize reunion and happiness for the family.

Fly Kongming's Light (Hot-Air Balloon)

During Lantern Festival, Chinese people also like to fly Kongming lanterns (airborne paper lanterns). The lantern is said to resemble the hat of Kongming (another name for Zhuge Liang, a chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history), hence the name "Kongming lanterns." The lantern is made of paper, with a small hole in the bottom. People believe that the lantern can bring them happiness and good luck for the new year.

"Walk sickness"

Also known as "travel sickness," "walk sickness" is a healthy activity with strong beliefs. On Lantern Festival or the next day, women (mostly in countryside) usually go out together, along the wall, cross the bridge or to the countryside. They believe this activity can erase evil and cure illnesses. Today, the tradition can still be seen in many villages in China.