The Festival of Lanterns takes place at the end of the Chinese New Year Celebration, on the fifteenth day of the first moon. Lanterns have been part of Chinese life for centuries so its not surprising to see a festival of lanterns.
People usually hang lanterns in the gardens, outside the houses, and on the boats. These lanterns are signposts to guide guests and spirits of ancestors to the Lunar celebration. After a sumptuous fifteen-day feast, these lanterns light the way for the spirits back to the world beyond.
Silk, paper and plastic lanterns vary in shape and size and are usually multi-colored. Some are in the shapes of butterflies, birds, flowers, and boats. Other are shaped like dragon, fruit and animal symbols of that year. The most popular type of lantern is the horse-racing one, in which figures or animals rotate around the vertical axis of the lantern.
The special food for the Lantern Festival is Yuen Sin or Tong Yuen. These are round dumplings made with sticky rice flour. They can be filled and served as a sweet snack or made plain and cooked in a soup with vegetables, meat and dried shrimp. The round shape of the dumpling is a symbol of wholeness, completeness and unity.
The Lantern Festival is an occasion for families to get together and for everyone--young, old, rich and poor to have fun.
The first day of the Lunar New Year is the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth.Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the new year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them.
On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.
The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law.
The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck.
On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.
The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.
On the eighth day the Fujian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven.
The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor.
The 10th through the 12th are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, on the 13th day you should have simple rice congee and mustard greens (choi sum) to cleanse the system.
The 14th day should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival which is to be held on the 15th night.
汤圆汤圆送汤圆，香香的汤圆是圆又圆，这是一首过元宵时唱的《汤圆》。因为，大伙儿都说吃汤圆，梦也圆，所以，阿姨唱，叔叔唱，伯伯唱，大伙儿唱。
在放假的几天中，我最快乐的一天，要属元宵节了。那天，伯伯来我家吃饭，伯伯刚坐下就问我：凡琪，你放过烟花吗我回答道：放过一两次。伯伯接着说：那你还想放一次吗我说道：当然想啦！可是妈妈偏说说放烟花有危险！不让我多放。伯伯说：不用怕，我跟你妈说，她会同意的！我高兴得蹦了三千尺，我大喊道：又可以放烟花了！又可以放烟花了！我扭过头对伯伯说：还是伯伯最爱我！伯伯对我笑了笑，又回头看他的报纸去了。
吃过饭后，伯伯给了我一大袋烟花，和三根香，就让我和妈妈下楼去放。到了楼下的石头椅子旁，我先把烟花管放在地上放好后，然后用点燃的香将烟花管旁的引子点燃，没过多久，烟花像火箭一样嗖的一声，飞上了天空，然后，碰的一声在天空散开了，真像一朵花开了！后来，我看了看，有红的，有黄的，有紫的，有绿的，各种各样，各色各异，真好看！
后来，我回家后，妈妈端上了一碗汤圆给我吃，啊！元宵节我真喜欢你！
