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中國元宵節(jié)

The Lantern Festival has been part of Chine New Year celebrations since the Han

Dynasty (206 BC- 221 AD). Usually held on the 15th day of the first month of the

lunar calendar, it marks the end of New Year festivities.

自漢朝（公元前206年—公元221年）起，元宵節(jié)就已成為了中國新年慶祝活動中的一部

分了。一般農(nóng)歷的正月十五為元宵節(jié)，這一天也標(biāo)志著新年慶祝活動的結(jié)束。

It is said that the holiday evolved from an ancient Chine belief that celestial

（天上的） spirits could be en flying about in the light of the first full moon

of the lunar calendar. To aid them in their arch for the spirits they ud torches.

The torches gave way to lanterns of every shape, size and colour.

The Lantern Festival is also popularly referred to as the Chine Valentine's Day

becau in days of old it gave girls and boys a rare chance to go out in the evening

and mingle（混合，交往）. Today, lantern festivals are held each year in China,

Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan to mark the end of Chine New Year celebrations.

Competitions are held to lect the best lanterns.

The lanterns

The lanterns come in all shapes and sizes. Some are created in the form of animals,

incts, flowers, people or even machines or buildings. Others depict scenes from

popular stories teaching filial piety and traditional values. A favourite subject

is the zodiac animal of the year - which in 2014 will be the hor.

Lantern riddles (cai deng mi)

Part of the lantern festival tradition involves a game to guess riddles attached

to the lanterns. In the old days the riddles were obscure literary allusions to the

Chine classics and so were mainly the prerve of the educated class.

Special foods

Like most Chine festivals, the Lantern Festival has its own special food, called

"tang yuan". The are round, glutinous rice dumplings with sweet or spicy fillings.

The dumplings are said to symboli both the first full moon and family unity and

completeness.

Entertainment

Stilt-walking, drumming and dragon and lion dancing are all traditional forms of

festival entertainment. In Asia, it is not uncommon to e processions of

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hundred-foot long dragons, lit with flashing eyes and luminous（發(fā)光的） bodies,

accompanied by pounding drums, cymbals and brass instruments.