Chinese Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival Festivities and Things to Do

Eating Yuan Xiao - Yuan Xiao also called Tang Yuan are glutinous rice balls with stuffing of sesame, peanuts, vegetable, or meat. It is the must-eat food for the lantern festival, symbolizing heaviness, wholeness, and unity.

Yuan Xiao is the must-eat festive food for the Lantern Festival.

Lantern Fair - Lantern Fair, or Lantern Show is the most important event on the Lantern Festival. During the festival night, families with take their children to the event to appreciate the lanterns of in various designs. Many of them will be made in large sizes and demonstrate traditional legends and tales. 

On a Lantern Fair, many sophisticated and detailed lanterns are displayed.

Solve Riddles - Except the large sophisticated lanterns in a lantern fair, there are often many simple small lanterns. Riddles will be written on the tags hanging or attached to the lantern. Riddle Solving is one of the most traditional festivities during the Lantern Festival.

Solving Lantern Riddles can be date back to as early as 2000 years ago of Western Han Dynasty.

Dragon Dance -The Dragon Dance is performed in the hopes that the dragon, the traditional supplier of rain, would ensure plenty of rainfall in the upcoming year. This dazzling display incorporates many men working in perfect unison to bring the dragon puppet to life. On the Lantern Festival night, the most enthusiastic style of Chinese Dragon Dance called Fire Dragon Dance is often seen during a Lantern Fair. The Fire Dragon Puppets are firing fireworks when they are being waved.

Dancing a Fire Drangon requires courage, skill, and cooperation.