A Little Bit About 元宵節
Tomorrow the first full moon of the New Lunar Year arrives marking the time of China’s Lantern Festival. Falling near the 15th day of the first month of the new year, this is a holiday that is often observed as the culmination of the New Year celebrations. In the cosmology of the Taiyi (太一) the Lantern Festival venerates the celestial dragon which govern the seasons, storms and the people’s fortunes. What, in the west, the consolation of stars associated with the Big Dipper.
While the Spring Festival is reserved for families and broadens that circle of celebration gradually, but come the full moon everyone, regardless of age or gender, goes out onto the streets to celebrate. The Lantern Festival has come to symbolize both reunions and socializing freely.
In Ancient China, women were generally not allowed out of the house. But on this night, they could stroll freely, interacting with men. Originally , young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of attracting a suitable partner. This was a matchmaker’s busiest time for pairing couples. The result, generations worth of wild and romantic stories spawned from this event. This is why the Lantern Festival is often considered the true Chinese Valentine’s Day.
It is believed that the festival began more than 2000 years ago in the Western Han dynasty. Emperor Wu (汉武帝 / hàn wǔ dì) designated this day for worship rituals for Taiyi (太一神 / tài yī shén). Later, new emperor Wen (汉文帝 / hàn wén dì) Used the celebration to commemorate a return of peace after unrest. He announced that the 15 th lunar day would be a national holiday. Every household would light candles and lanterns. It became known as 闹元宵 (nào yuán xiāo). “Nao” can be interpreted as having fun or going wild with excitement. The later Eastern Han dynastie’s Emperor Ming learned that on that 15th day, monks would light candles for the Buddha. He ordered the palace and temples to light candles and the citizens to hang lanterns. Both events combined and eventually turned into the Lantern Festival we know today.
There are many legends and myths associated with this holiday. Here is a lesser know tale worth sharing.
Crane or Phoenix
Long ago a beautiful crane that flew down to earth from heaven. After it landed on earth it was hunted and killed by local villagers. This angered the Jade Emperor of the celestial courts. It turned out that crane was his favorite. So, he decreed a storm of fire should destroy the village on the fifteenth lunisolar day.
Showing mercy, the Jade Emperor’s daughter warned the inhabitants of her father’s plan. The village was in turmoil because nobody knew how they could escape their imminent destruction. Fortunately a visiting hermit suggested that every family should hang red lanterns around their houses, set up bonfires in the streets, and light firecrackers over the course of the days before and after that month full moon.
This gave the village an appearance of being on fire. On that fifteenth day, the celestial troops sent down to destroy the village saw that the village was already ablaze. They returned to heaven and reported on the state of that village. This was enough to leave the Jade Emperor wrath satisfied and from that day on, people celebrate the anniversary of their salvation on the fifteenth day of the year by carrying lanterns in the streets and igniting fireworks.