Lantern Festival

Origin

The 15th day of the first lunar month, when the moon is full for the first time of the year, is the Lantern Festival. It is said that the festival may be related to a legend in Han Dynasty or originated from "Shang Yuan Festival". Beginning in the T'ang Dynasty, the fifteenth day of the first, seventh, and tenth lunar months were known as "Shang Yuan", "Chung Yuan", and "Hsia Yuan" respectively. Rites are offered to the "God of Heaven" on "Shang Yuan", to the "Earth God" on "Chung Yuan", and to the "Water God" on "Hsia Yuan". Local temples all hold celebratory festivals on these dates to worship each of the three gods, but the celebration of "Shang Yuan" is more joyful and loved by people. Being the last climax in a series of springtime celebrations, it is also called the "Little New Year". After the festival, people abandon their partying spirit and return to work.

Activities

Though decorative lanterns have traditionally been made from bamboo, electric lanterns have become more popular over recent years. Countless different designs are used for the lanterns, generally can be divided into iconic lanterns and depictive lanterns. Iconic lanterns are modeled after animals, flowers, people, and any number of other objects; depictive lanterns depict scenes from popular stories such as the Legend of White Snake, the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden, and the Romance of Three Kingdoms, stories teaching filial piety and other traditional values in an entertaining manner. In addition to displaying and appreciating lanterns, the festival is further enriched by the lantern riddle contests held on the night, and is also celebrated by eating "Tang Yuan", a kind of glutinous rice balls, an important custom symbolizing family unity. In 1992, the Tourism Bureau held the first "Taipei Lantern Festival" at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Plaza. Due to the event's overwhelming popularity, the festival has been expanded every year. It showcases each year a new theme based on the zodiac animal of the year. The main event of the festival is the Lantern Lighting Ceremony held on the first day of the display with a fusion of color, light, and sound that attracts universal applause from visitors.