Lantern Festival: Tradition and Celebration

February 12 is the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month in 2025. The Lantern Festival is one of the important traditional Chinese festivals. It is also known as the Shangyuan Festival, the Little New Year, and the Lantern Festival. The festive and lively atmosphere of the Spring Festival has only officially ended today, and this day also symbolizes reunion and hope. In ancient times, on this day, people would visit lantern festivals, and people would suddenly come up with many imaginative lanterns.

The celebrations of the Lantern Festival are rich and colorful, and different regions have different traditional customs, but the most representative customs include:

Eating Lanterns: On this day, everyone will eat Lanterns (called Tangyuan in the south), which symbolizes reunion and happiness. The fillings of Lanterns will not be single, and a variety of sesame, red beans, peanuts, etc. will be used as fillings. The sweet taste implies sweetness and happiness.

Watching Lanterns: On the night of the Lantern Festival, a party will be held on the most prosperous streets, and people will light up a variety of lanterns for everyone to watch. Lanterns not only have different shapes, but are also often painted with auspicious patterns, symbolizing good wishes.

Guessing lantern riddles: At the lantern festival, people will write lantern riddles on lanterns. If they guess correctly, they can get lanterns as rewards. Lantern riddles are also called "wenhu", which is a unique activity of guessing lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival. By writing riddles on lanterns, people can not only enjoy the beautiful lanterns, but also guess the riddles, which increases the fun of the festival.

Dragon and lion dances: In many places, the Lantern Festival is also inseparable from the traditional dragon and lion dances. With the sound of gongs and drums, the lively dragon and lion dance performances are meant to drive away evil and bring good luck.

Setting off fireworks: When night falls, the sky of the Lantern Festival is lit up by brilliant fireworks. Various places have set off colorful fireworks, and dazzling fireworks bloom in the deep night sky, adding endless joy and romance to this traditional festival.

With the evolution of the times, the celebration of the Lantern Festival has also quietly transformed. In many cities, grand lantern festivals have become a major attraction of the festival. People gather in parks or squares to enjoy the colorful and magnificent lanterns. At the same time, a wave of "online lantern riddle guessing" has emerged on social media, providing a new way for the younger generation to participate in this traditional festival through the Internet.

The Lantern Festival not only carries a profound historical heritage, but also symbolizes a beautiful moment of family reunion and sharing the joy of family. Whether it is the ancient customs that have been passed down for thousands of years or the modern celebration methods that keep pace with the times, they all contain people's endless longing and yearning for a better life, and demonstrate the long-standing cultural charm of the Chinese nation.

As the finale of the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival is not only a perfect conclusion to the Spring Festival, but also a special day that carries infinite beautiful visions. Whether it is tasting sweet and delicious Lantern Festival or strolling in the brightly lit streets and alleys, this day is filled with a strong atmosphere of reunion, overflowing with warmth and joy. People gather together on this festive day to welcome the new year full of hope and blessings.