Lantern Festival 2023

Google Dooles 04.02.2023 21:31  Date: February 5, 2023 Today’s Doodle celebrates the Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuan Xiao or the Shang Yuan Festival. It’s observed in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and more. Each year on the 15th of the first lunar month, which signals the end of the lunar new year celebrations, people throughout Asia light ornate lanterns and hang them in the night sky for good fortune. Lantern Festival celebrations began over 2,000 years ago in the Han Dynasty. Several myths explore the origins of this holiday, and the most famous one tells the story of the Jade Emperor. Legend has it that a villager accidentally hunted down his favorite, prized crane. Seething in anger, the emperor wanted to burn down the village in retaliation. Right before he ordered his army to begin the raid, his sympathetic daughter warned the villagers and encouraged them to create an illusion of destruction. The villagers hung red lanterns in front of the houses and released many lanterns into the sky to imitate fire. Thinking the village was already ruined, the emperor called off the attack. The colorful lanterns, usually red, symbolize departure of the old and arrival of the new. People often write wishes on the lanterns in hopes of having them granted in the new year. Some lanterns even contain riddles — and children who solve them can receive a special gift. Several lion and dragon dances are held during the festivities, where dancers dressed in costume perform acrobatic tricks and martial arts-inspired stunts. Festival goers can also help themselves to a popular delicacy called tang yuan, steamed or boiled rice balls stuffed with sweet fillings. Happy Lantern Festival! Location: , , , , , , , , , , , Tags: