元宵节元宵節
Yuán xiāo jié jyun4 siu1 zit3
- When
- 15th day of the 1st lunar month
- Calendar
- Lunar calendar
Summary
The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month — the first full moon of the year — and closes the New Year period. Cities and temples hang thousands of lanterns, and families eat sweet glutinous rice balls (汤圆 / 元宵).
History
The festival’s roots reach back over two thousand years; one tradition links its lanterns to Han-dynasty Buddhist lamp-lighting on the fifteenth night, while folk versions tie it to Taoist celebrations of the Heaven Official’s birthday. Because young women were allowed out at night to view the lanterns, it also became China’s old night of courtship — a traditional Valentine’s occasion.
What people do
People stroll to admire lantern displays, solve lantern riddles (猜灯谜) written on slips hung from the lanterns, and watch lion and dragon dances. The food of the day is the round rice ball — 汤圆 in the south (wrapped) and 元宵 in the north (rolled) — whose roundness echoes 团圆, family reunion.
Greetings
A fitting greeting is 元宵节快乐 (Happy Lantern Festival).
Festival idioms
- 张灯结彩張燈結彩 zhāng dēng jié cǎi zoeng1 dang1 git3 coi2 to be decorated with lanterns and colored banners (idiom)
- 火树银花火樹銀花 huǒ shù yín huā fo2 syu6 ngan4 faa1 display of fireworks and lanterns
- 万家灯火萬家燈火 wàn jiā dēng huǒ maan6 gaa1 dang1 fo2 (of a city etc) ablaze with lights
- 花好月圆花好月圓 huā hǎo yuè yuán faa1 hou2 jyut6 jyun4 lit. lovely flowers, round moon (idiom); fig. everything is wonderful
- 良宵美景 liáng xiāo měi jǐng loeng4 siu1 mei5 ging2 fine evening, beautiful scenery (idiom)
- 普天同庆普天同慶 pǔ tiān tóng qìng pou2 tin1 tung4 hing3 everybody celebrating together
- 欢天喜地歡天喜地 huān tiān xǐ dì fun1 tin1 hei2 dei6 delighted
- 人山人海 rén shān rén hǎi jan4 saan1 jan4 hoi2 (idiom) multitude; vast crowd
- 喜气洋洋喜氣洋洋 xǐ qì yáng yáng hei2 hei3 joeng4 joeng4 full of joy (idiom); jubilation
Public-holiday status
- Mainland China Observance
- Taiwan Observance
- Hong Kong Observance
- Macau Observance
Lunar and Western dates
| Year | Lunar date | Western date |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Wed, Feb 12, 2025 |
| 2026 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Tue, Mar 3, 2026 |
| 2027 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Sat, Feb 20, 2027 |
| 2028 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Wed, Feb 9, 2028 |
| 2029 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Tue, Feb 27, 2029 |
| 2030 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Sun, Feb 17, 2030 |
| 2031 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Thu, Feb 6, 2031 |
| 2032 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Wed, Feb 25, 2032 |
| 2033 | 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Mon, Feb 14, 2033 |
On this site
Further reading
- Lantern Festival — Wikipedia
- Lantern Festival — Encyclopædia Britannica (owner to confirm)