The Chinese Lantern Festival
It falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Year. The Lantern Festival takes place on a full moon, and marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities. The Lantern Festival dates back to shrouded legends of the Han Dynasty over 2000 years ago.
Popular Food:
The most popular food for the Chinese Lantern Festival is a kind of sweet dumpling made of glutinous rice or wheat flour. Joy and the kids at the orphanage are making these dumplings for the festival. The Chinese name of this dish is (Yuanxiao)
Where did the festival originate:
We are not sure but there is one legend that the Jade Emperor in Heaven was so angered at a town for killing his favorite goose, that he decided to destroy it with a storm of fire. But, a good fairy heard of this storm of fire, and warned the people of the town to light lanterns throughout the town on the appointed day. The towns people did as they were told, and from the Heavens, it looked as if the whole village was on fire. Satisfied that his goose had already been avenged, the Jade Emperor decided not to burn the town. From that day on, people celebrated the anniversary of their deliverance by carried lanterns of different shapes and colors through the streets on the first full moon of the year.
When you go out in the streets, red lanterns are everywhere and fireworks are going off again.
Rick Haynes – President and CEO
China Harvest Ministries
http://www.helping-china-orphans.com
http://www.chinaharvest.wordpress.com
