The Festival of Lanterns takes place at the end of the Chinese New Year Celebration, on the fifteenth day of the first moon. Lanterns have been part of Chinese life for centuries so it's not surprising to see a festival of lanterns.
People usually hang lanterns in the gardens, outside the houses, and on the boats. These lanterns are signposts to guide guests and spirits of ancestors to the Lunar celebration. After a sumptuous fifteen-day feast, these lanterns light the way for the spirits back to the world beyond.
Silk, paper and plastic lanterns vary in shape and size and are usually multi-colored. Some are in the shapes of butterflies, birds, flowers, and boats. Other are shaped like dragon, fruit and animal symbols of that year. The most popular type of lantern is the "horse-racing" one, in which figures or animals rotate around the vertical axis of the lantern.
The special food for the Lantern Festival is Yuen Sin or Tong Yuen. These are round dumplings made with sticky rice flour. They can be filled and served as a sweet snack or made plain and cooked in a soup with vegetables, meat and dried shrimp. The round shape of the dumpling is a symbol of wholeness, completeness and unity.
The Lantern Festival is an occasion for families to get together and for everyone--young, old, rich and poor to have fun.
翻譯如下：
年底舉行的中國新年慶祝活動,在正月15月的這一天. 燈籠一直是幾個世紀以來中國人的節日,所以沒什麽吃驚.
人們通常燈籠掛在花園外面的房子、船上. 這些指示標志燈的客人,是祖先的新年慶祝活動. 15點後兩天大餐,這些燈照亮了回神後的世界.
絲綢、造紙、塑膠燈籠形狀和大小各不相同,通常多彩. 有蝴蝶形的、鳥、花、船. 其他都像龍、水果和動物的象征,一年. 最受歡迎的是一種花燈 " 賽馬 " 一、人物、動物,輪流在各地縱軸的花燈.
特別是糧食的元宵圓善或湯圓. 這些都是用與糯米粉圓、甜零食熟了湯,蔬菜、肉、蝦米來填補。圓圓的形狀,是象征團圓的整體性、完整性和團結.
元宵是和家人團聚的機會,使每一個人--青年人、老年人,不論貧富,都好好享受這個節日