CHINESE NEW YEAR AND LANTERN FESTIVAL TRADITIONS

As the largest Chinese lantern festival producer in Europe, China Light Festival B.V. is proud to share our cultural tradition that dates back nearly 2,000 years to the Eastern Han Dynasty.

There are countless legends and myths surrounding the Lantern Festival that have survived the centuries, which is a testament to both China’s rich oral traditions and the festival’s historically mysterious origins.

Leaders throughout China’s history have also played a key role in influencing and maintaining the lantern traditions.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD – 1644 AD), Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang introduced the floating lanterns and had citizens place thousands of them in the Qinhuai River.
There’s even a legend of the Lantern Festival’s origins that involved a Jade Emperor (You Di) who accused a village of killing his goose and planned to burn it down as punishment for their crime. However, a spirit intervened and told the villagers to light lanterns across the town on the day the emperor planned to burn their village. When the emperor arrived, the lanterns made it appear as though the village was already consumed by fire, and so he left it behind unharmed. The village was spared, and to show their gratitude to the spirit, the villagers celebrated every year by decorating their homes with lanterns.

What Makes A Lantern

Although the most recognizable lantern is the illuminated orb, artisans became more ambitious with their designs and soon developed complex shapes and colossal sizes.

A lantern’s main structure is typically made of bamboo, wood rattan or wire, while the shades are made of silk or paper are typically red with decorative gold designs symbolizing warmth, happiness, and good fortune. A common festival activity is solving riddles hidden away in the lanterns, which, if answered correctly, will earn you a small gift!

Food & Lantern Festivals

There are many activities that are commonly associated with the Lantern Festival, though no celebration is complete without food.

Enter the yuanxiao, a delicious rice ball filled with nuts or fruits that is traditionally found in Northern China. Its round shape and the bowls they are served in symbolize togetherness. These tasty treats also appear in Southern China but are called tangyuan and are molded into a flat circle before getting wrapped around a filling that can be either sweet or savory. While yuanxiao only use sweet fillings like red bean or jujube paste, the tangyuan can be stuffed with minced meats or vegetables.

Whether you like them fried, steamed, or drenched in delicious syrup, these wonderful festival treats are a key part of any lantern festival.

While you’re admiring the beautiful lanterns or enjoying a tasty rice ball, festival-goers can expect to see plenty of exciting spectacles such as lion and dragon dances, parades made up of thousands of singers or performers, and even fireworks.

It’s a celebration that often stretches from sunset to the early hours of the morning and, although China Light Festivals can’t quite capture all the aspects of these events, we still strive to help share the culture and artistry that inspires them.

We hope you learned a thing or two and wish you all having a bright and healthy year!

Behind the production: China Light

The events developed and created by China Light are consistently a marvel to behold, and dazzle spectators. The festival is much sought after, and not just because of the amazing visuals, but also because of the professional attitude and workmanship of its people. Today we lift the curtain slightly, to give an insight into the skilful planning and hard work which is the foundation of every China Light event.

East meets West: bridging the gap between two different cultures

Both in terms of distance and of culture, there has historically been a large gap between the cultures of the West and the Far East. As globalisation makes our planet smaller and smaller, the physical distance appears to shrink as well, but the cultural differences remain in place. The China Light festival shows, however, that even the cultural gap can be overcome, using Eastern cultural expressions to tell Western stories.

Raising awareness about Nature protection with lanterns

Globalisation, industrialisation and a skyrocketing world population all put heavy pressure on both the environment and the animal kingdom. Yet, living in our modernised society, for many of us the consequences are invisible or unclear, as much of it happens outside of our lives. The China Light Festival can bring these important matters to the forefront, using art and light to draw attention to our impact on the planet.

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