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About Lantern Festival

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About Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the first full moon of the new year. It marks the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Streets, parks and temples glow with lanterns of every shape, from rabbits and dragons to lotus flowers. People walk under the lights, guess riddles written on the lanterns and watch lion dances and fireworks.

Families eat tangyuan or yuanxiao, sweet glutinous rice balls in soup, whose round shape stands for reunion. In Malaysia and Singapore the night is called Chap Goh Mei, and young people once threw mandarin oranges into the water while making a wish for love.

  • 15th day of the 1st lunar month
  • Last night of Chinese New Year
  • China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia

Where it began

In Chinese it is called Yuanxiao Jie. Yuan means first and xiao means night, so the name points to the first full moon night of the new year.

There are many stories about its start. One tells that Buddhist monks lit lamps to honour the Buddha on this night, and an emperor of the Han dynasty asked people to do the same. Another legend tells of people hanging red lanterns to fool a heavenly army into thinking the town was already on fire.

Pink lanterns and a giant lantern figure for the new yearNagasaki, Japan

How it grew over time

  1. Han dynasty

    Records link the lighting of lamps on this night to the Han court about two thousand years ago.

  2. Tang dynasty

    Lantern displays grew grand, and the city curfew was lifted so people could walk the streets at night.

  3. Song dynasty

    Lantern riddles became a popular game, and the festival lasted several nights.

  4. Today

    Huge lantern shows light up cities across China and Chinese communities around the world.

How it is celebrated in different places

  • China

    Parks and temples are filled with lanterns of animals, flowers and the year's zodiac sign.

  • Taiwan

    The Pingxi sky lantern release and the Taiwan Lantern Festival draw large crowds.

  • Malaysia and Singapore

    Chap Goh Mei is the Hokkien name, and young people once threw oranges into the sea to wish for a good partner.

Lantern Festival moments

Lanterns strung over the canal for the Lantern FestivalNagasaki, Japan
Red lanterns, the sign of the seasonChina
Tangyuan, the sweet rice balls eaten on this nightChina
A traditional painted lantern lit for the festivalChina
Fireworks under the first full moon of the yearChina

Lantern Festival today

Families eat tangyuan or yuanxiao, round balls of sticky rice filled with sesame, peanut or red bean. Children carry small lanterns, and people walk under lantern displays guessing the riddles.

In many towns there are lion and dragon dances and fireworks to close the New Year season.

How people celebrate Lantern Festival

  • Lantern displays
  • Guessing lantern riddles
  • Eating tangyuan
  • Lion and dragon dances
  • Fireworks
  • Chap Goh Mei orange throwing

How to wish well

  • Say "Yuanxiao jie kuaile" (元宵节快乐), Happy Lantern Festival.
  • Wishes about reunion, round tangyuan and the full moon fit the night well.
  • It is the last day of the New Year season, so a wish for the whole year ahead is welcome.

Questions about Lantern Festival

When is the Lantern Festival?

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, fifteen days after Lunar New Year, usually in February or early March.

What do people eat at the Lantern Festival?

Tangyuan or yuanxiao, sweet rice balls often filled with black sesame, red bean or peanut paste.

What do you say at the Lantern Festival?

"Yuanxiao jie kuaile" (元宵节快乐), Happy Lantern Festival.

What are lantern riddles?

Riddles written on paper tied to lanterns. People guess the answers for fun and small prizes.

What is Chap Goh Mei?

The Hokkien name for the fifteenth night of the New Year, used in Malaysia and Singapore.

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