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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