The Lantern Festival

Every nation of the world has its own traditional festivals. So does China, the multinational country, with some festivals shared by several nationalities. Traditional festivals are closely related to the historial development, custom and folkway, religious belief and moral principles of a nation. Of those festivals some are kept to commemorate certain historial events so as to inspire the people to succeed and carry out some lofty spirits or fine traditions, others to sing the praise for the outstanding persons and express people's grief for them and cherish their memory. Traditional festivals is the result of the people's creation which radiates with the brillinace of the wisdom and ideal of the people.

China’s major traditional festival include the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Double Ninth Festival. Ethnic Minorities have also retained their own traditional festivals, including the Water Sprinkling Festival of the Dai people, the Nadam Fair of the Mongolian people, the Torch Festival of the Yi people, the Danu (Never forget the past) Festival of the Yao people, the third month Fair of Bai people, the Antiphonal Singing Day of the Zhuang people, the Tibetan New Year and Onghor (Expecting a good harvest) Festival of the Tibetan people, and the Jumping Flower Festival of the Miao people.

In China, the New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other's homes for visits and shared meals, most significantly a feast on New Year's Eve. In the United States, however, many early Chinese immigrants arrived without their families, and found a sense of community through neighborhood associations instead. Today, many Chinese-American neighborhood associations host banquets and other New Year events.

The lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon.

In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon—which might stretch a hundred feet long—is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets. In the United States, where the New Year is celebrated with a shortened schedule, the dragon dance always takes place on a weekend. In addition, many Chinese-American communities have added American parade elements such as marching bands and floats.