![]() ![]() The ceremony begins with a series of traditional performances by local musical groups a prayer led by the head of the Shinnyo-en community, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, follows. But since 2002, the festival has been held at Ala Moana Beach, a sandy stretch between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. The island’s first festival, hosted by Shinnyo-en, an international Buddhist community, took place in 1999 at Keehi Lagoon. Afterward, villagers continued the tradition to commemorate the event.Īcross the centuries, the tradition of lantern festivals has spread across Asia through trade, immigration, and colonialism, meshing with local cultures and customs-they now occur throughout the continent and wherever there are large populations of people of Asian descent.įrom a floating lantern festival in Hawai‘i to Vietnam’s monthly full moon festival, here are seven radiant lantern celebrations around the world:Įach Memorial Day on Oahu’s south shore, Lantern Floating Hawai‘i brings thousands of residents and visitors together on the beach to honor and remember their deceased loved ones. His daughter took pity on the townsfolk and instructed them to trick the Emperor into thinking their homes were already on fire by lighting lanterns and setting off fireworks-the plan worked. Another more fanciful explanation goes that the Jade Emperor (a principal figure in Chinese mythology) threatened to burn down a village after its citizens accidentally killed his favorite pet crane. One theory goes that on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, monks would light lanterns in honor of Buddha, and eventually other people caught onto the custom and began lighting lanterns in honor of loved ones who had passed. The history of lantern festivals is also believed to have begun during the Han Dynasty, though no one is certain when or how they came about. Sky lanterns can be traced back thousands of years to the Eastern Han Dynasty in China (25–220 C.E.), when the objects were used not only as decorative light sources but also as military signals that could communicate messages across long distances. 16–Feb.Throughout Asia, lanterns have been used to commemorate cultural and spiritual celebrations for centuries. The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival: November 18th, 2022 - January 8th, 2023.Many large lantern displays are held, such as: This is why some say that the Chinese Lantern Festival is the true Chinese "Valentine's Day", rather than Qixi Festival (七夕 'Double Seventh').Ĭhinese Lantern Festival 2023 Events Around the WorldĬhinese Lantern Festival has become increasingly popular in Western countries in recent years. In ancient times, unmarried women were not allowed to go out of the house. The Chinese Lantern Festival provided an opportunity for them to stroll freely, lighting lanterns, playing games, and interacting with men. Is Yuanxiao Jie the Real Chinese Valentine's Day?Ĭhina's Lantern Festival is one of the romantic traditional Chinese festivals. It is believed that the custom of eating tangyuan originated during the Song Dynasty era, and became popular during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynastic periods. Yuanxiao can be boiled, fried, or steamed, and are customarily served in fermented rice soup, called tianjiu (甜酒 tiánjiǔ /tyen-jyoh/ 'sweet liquor'). ![]() It, therefore, symbolizes family reunion, harmony, and happiness. Tangyuan sounds similar to tuanyuan (团圆), which means 'reunion'.Its sweet taste symbolizes a sweet and happy life.Its round shape symbolizes wholeness and completeness.It is a must-eat food at the Chinese Lantern Festival due to its auspicious meaning in every aspect - from its round shape to its sweet taste and fine-sounding pronunciation. The lanterns' artwork vividly illustrates traditional Chinese imagery and symbols, such as fruits, flowers, birds, animals, people, and buildings. In the Taiwanese Mandarin dialect, the Chinese word for lantern (灯 dēng) is pronounced similarly to (丁 dīng), which means 'to have a new-born baby', so in Taiwan putting up lanterns could even express a wish for couples to have a baby!ĭuring the Lantern Festival, many big lantern fairs are held in China, such as Qinhuai International Lantern Festival in Nanjing and Shanghai Yuyuan Lantern Festival. It is a way for people to pray that they will have smooth futures and to express their best wishes for their families. Lighting lanterns symbolize "illuminating the future". The (traditional) lanterns are almost always red to invoke good fortune. Lanterns are seen everywhere including in houses, shopping malls, parks, and streets. Lighting and appreciating lanterns is the main activity of Yuan Xiao Jie. ![]()
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