Yuan Xiao Jie Lantern Festival

Jason EN | Feb 17, 2011 | Comments 0

Yuan Xiao Jie Festival or Lantern Festival is a festival in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. It is a Traditional festival and celebrated on fifteenth day of first and last month of Lunar year in Chinese calendar. In this festival children in the night went to temples with papers lanterns and solve puzzles on the lanterns and it is the end of Chinese year.

In old times lanterns are simple for royal persons and hard for local people but now they became more complex in the shape of animals. The day is celebrates with love and warmth in Chinese Traditions.

There is also a special food for this Festival called Yuan Xiao. It is like a sweet dumpling and made with rice filled them with sweet stuff. In this food rice, butter, black sesame powder, sugar and 1 table spoon of wine is used. It is made by mixing the butter, sesame powder, sugar and wine after this it is heated for very few. Then small balls made and cooked them in water.

On the night of festival people comes out with lantern and lions and dragons are dancing around them. This is a great fun for people. In United States this festival is not celebrated but Chinese Communities celebrate it in Hsi Lai Temple.

According to people an Emperor wants to destroy the earth because his loveable bird was killed accidently. The wise people played a trick with him in the night they light lanterns whole night. When Emperor seems down he thought that the entire town is burned then he satisfied. So every year they celebrate that event.

In 2011 Yuan Xiao Jie Festival or Lantern Festival falls on 17th February.

Yuan Xiao Jie Lantern Festival Yuan Xiao Jie Feux d’Artifice 1