元宵节 Lanterns’ Day

端午节 Dragon Boat Day

七夕情人节 Chinese Valentine’s Day

中秋节 Mid-autumn Day

国庆节 National Day

Lanterns’ Day

2.What do people usually do on this day?

3.What special food for Lanterns’ Day?

1.When is Lanterns’ Day?

The Story of theLantern Festival

元宵节的由來

A long time ago, a girlnamed Yuan lived faraway from home andworked in the king’spalace.

Yuan missed her familyterribly and often cried.

She got so home sick that she found it difficultto live.

Just when Yuan was at thedepths of despair, a palaceguard noticed her.

He took pity on Yuan andhe tried to help her.

The guard told Yuan to pretend to be the Goddess of Fire.

In that way, she could visit her family on the day that the Goddness of Fire was to visit Yuan’s hometown. She liked his idea.

One day, the Jade Emperorordered the Goddessof Fire(Yuan)to burn down the verytown that was her own hometown!

To save the people of her hometown, Yuan told everyone in the town to hang lanterns on the doors that night and set off fireworks.

That night, with allthe noise and fire,the Jade Emperorthought theGoddess of Firewas really burning the town.

Afterward, the emperor ordered the “survivors” to appease the Goddessof Fire by offering her rice balls.

Happy to be reunited with their families, the people made rice balls and hung lanterns each year from them on.

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.

◆What do people do on this day?

What special food for this day?

The special food for the Lantern

Festival is Yuan Xiao. These are round dumplings made with sticky rice flour. The round shape of the sweet 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 or poor to have fun.