元宵節的所有英文一網打盡，從賞燈、吃湯圓、踩高蹺、猜燈謎到舞龍舞獅，全部都學起來！Everything You Need to Know about the Lantern Festival

元宵節可別只顧著吃湯圓(當心熱量!)，相關字彙也來一點吧!

Everything You Need to Know about the Lantern Festival

Falling on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival is the first significant festival after Spring Festival春節, so called because the most important activity during the night of the event is watching lanterns. And because every household eats yuanxiao元宵 (a rice ball stuffed with different fillings餡料) on that day, it is called Yuan Xiao Festival. For its rich and colorful activities, it is regarded as the most recreational among all the Chinese festivals是所有中國節慶中最好玩的一個 and a festival for appreciating the bright full moon賞月, and family reunion.

Customs and Activities:

With a history of over 2,000 years, various traditional customs and activities are held during Lantern Festival that appeal to people of different ages無論老幼都喜歡元宵節, including watching lanterns賞燈 and fireworks, guessing lantern riddles猜燈謎, performing folk dances, and eating yuanxiao.

Watching Lanterns賞燈

One of the important activities of the event is watching lanterns. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), Buddhism flourished in China漢朝時佛教興盛. So, to popularize Buddhism為了推廣佛教, one of the emperors gave the order to light lanterns in the imperial palace to worship and show respect for Buddha on the 15th day of the first lunar month當時其中一個皇帝下令初十五晚間燃燈禮佛. During the Tang (618 - 907), Song (960 - 1279), Ming (1368 - 1644), and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties, lighting lanterns became a tradition for Chinese people這種習俗一直延續到後面幾個朝代(唐宋明清).

Today, when the Lantern Festival comes, red lanterns can be seen in the street, in each house, and in stores. In the parks, lanterns of various shapes and types attract countless visitors. Visitors marvel that驚訝/讚嘆 various lanterns so vividly demonstrate traditional Chinese folklore.

Guessing Lantern Riddles猜燈謎

Beginning from the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), guessing lantern riddles is regarded as an indispensable part of the Lantern Festival自宋朝開始，猜燈謎成為元宵節不可或缺的活動. The lantern exhibition organizers write all kinds of riddles on paper and paste them on colorful lanterns to let visitors guess. If one has an answer to a riddle, he can pull the paper from the lantern to let organizers verify the answer. Gifts are presented to the people who get the right answers.

Folk Dances: Lion Dance舞獅and Walking on Stilts踩高翹

Derived from the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280)三國時期, the lion dance is an excellent traditional art that adds infinite fun無窮樂趣 to any celebration including the Lantern Festival. Two performing types have formed during its long development. In northern China, the lion dance focuses on skills, and in the south, the lion dance pays more attention to animal resemblance. Under the guidance of a director, the lions sometimes jump, leap, and do difficult acts such as walking on stilts.

Because the acting is always amusing, spectators觀賞民眾 enjoy it very much. According to ancient custom, the lion is a symbol of boldness and strength that can protect people, so by performing the lion dance, everyone prays for an auspicious吉祥 and happy life.

Walking on stilts,踩著高蹺 another folk art, traces its origins to the Spring and Autumn period (770BC - 476BC)春秋時代. Performers not only walk on stilts by binding them to their feet but also do some breathtakingly difficult moves. As actors impersonate模仿 different characters like monks, clowns, and fishermen and perform vivid生動 and humorous acts, the art amuses many people.

Eating Yuanxiao 吃元宵

Yuanxiao, also called tangyuan湯圓, is a dumpling ball(所有裡面包餡的都可以是dumpling) made of sticky rice flours糯米粉 stuffed with different fillings餡料. Eating yuanxiao has become an essential part of the festival. The methods for making Yuanxiao differ by region and fillings include sugar, rose petals玫瑰花瓣, sesame芝麻, sweetened bean paste甜紅豆泥, and jujube paste棗泥. Some do not have fillings. Because tangyuan can be boiled, fried, or steamed, and each has a unique taste, it is very popular. Yuanxiao is round in shape so it is endowed with the meaning of reunion, harmony, and happiness元宵因為形狀是圓形的，所以向來被賦予團圓、圓滿與快樂之意. During the night of the festival, family members sit together to taste yuanxiao and appreciate the full moon賞月.