The Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival (also called Yuanxiao Festival) falls on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month. Yuan literally means first, while Xiao refers to night. Yuanxiao is the first time when people see the full moon in the new year. It is traditionally a time for family reunion. Origin of the festival There are many different beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival. But one thing for sure is that it had something to do with religious worship. One legend tells us that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven, who controlled the destiny of the human world. He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, farmine or pestilence upon human beings. Beginning with Qinshihuang, the first emperor to unite the country, all subsequent emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people. Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty directed special attention to this event. In 104 BC, he proclaimed it one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night. It is another Emperor of Han Dynnasty Mingdi who ordered people to display lighted lanterns during the Lantern Festival. The custom of lighting lanterns continued thereafter. Displaying of lanterns Today, the displaying of lanterns is still the most important event on the 15th day of the first lunar month throughout China. People will go on street in the evening to enjoy the brightly lit night. A popular component of some lanterns is lantern riddles. These are riddles that are stuck on the surface of lanterns for people to guess. The subjects of the riddles are often traditional Chinese songs, poems, stories or historical events. People very much enjoy the challenge of solving the riddles and lantern riddle parties are sometimes held at temples on the night of the Lantern Festival. So not only are the lanterns beautiful and decorative, they also celebrate and express Chinese history and culture. Colorful lanterns in the Baotu Spring Park in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province. Villagers wield wooden benches decorated in the pattern of a dragon with a length of about 300 metres in Miaojia Village of Shangrao County, east China's Jiangxi Province late Feb. 20, 2005. Lanterns in the Wenmiao Scenic Area in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 20, 2005. People watch lanterns in Hangzhou, Capital of the Zhejiang Province. Dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival. Guessing Lantern riddles Folk custom performance in Shaaxi Province to mark the Lantern Festival. Dragon dance in Shanghai. Eating Yuanxiao Besides entertainment and beautiful lanterns, another important part of the Lantern Festival is eating small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour. We call these balls Yuanxiao. Obviously, they get the name from the festival itself. It is said that the custom of eating Yuanxiao originated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the fourth centuty, then became popular during the Tang and Song periods. The fillings inside the dumplings or Yuanxiao are usually sweet, made of sugar, Walnuts, sesame, osmanthus flowers, rose petals, sweetened tangerine peel, bean paste, or jujube paste. A single ingredient or any combination can be used as the filling. Aside from the above activities, it is also customary to watch performances such as dragon lantern dance, lion dance, land boat dance, yangge dance, walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged on the day. In the evening when the first full moon emerges for the first time in the new year, people will feeling really intoxicated by the magnificent fireworks and lanterns.