The Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Jie is a traditional Chinese festival, which is on the 15th of the first month of the Chinese New Year. The festival marks the end of the celebrations of the Chinese New Year.
“灯节”或者叫做“元宵节”是中国的传统佳节，在每年的农历正月十五这一天庆祝。元宵节的到来也标志着春节的结束。
Chinese started to celebrate the Lantern Festival from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 221 AD). Like most other Chinese festivals, there is also a story behind the Festival. It is also believed that the festival has Taoist origins.
元宵节的传统可以追溯到西汉时期，像其他的传统节日一样，关于元宵节也有一个美丽的传说。据说，与道家的传统有关。
During the time of Emperor Han Wudi of the Han Dynasty , a palace woman named Yuanxiao was prevented from carrying out her filial duty of visiting her parents on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Distraught, she said she would kill herself by jumping into a well.
在汉武帝时期，一位名叫元宵的宫女因身处深宫，没法在正月十五与父母团聚尽孝。为此，她欲跳井自尽。
In order to help Yuanxiao fulfill her duty as a filial daughter, the scholar Dongfang Shuo came up with a scheme. He told Emperor Han Wudi that the Jade Emperor, the highest god in Heaven, had ordered the Fire God to burn down the capital city of Chang'an on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.
为了帮助元宵姑娘为父母尽孝，智者东方朔想出了一个计划。他告诉汉武帝,天界最高的神——玉皇大帝下令在正月十六火烧长安都。
Anxious to find a way to save his city, the emperor asked Dongfang Shuo what he should do. Dongfang Shuo replied that the Fire God loved red lanterns more than anything. He advised that the streets be hung with red lanterns, and the emperor, empress, concubines, and court officials come out of the palace to see them. In this way, the Fire God would be distracted and disaster averted.
为了拯救长安城，汉武帝问东方朔该怎么办。东方朔回答说火神最爱大红灯笼，他建议在街道上悬挂大红灯笼，皇帝、皇后、六宫嫔妃和朝廷大臣都要外出观赏灯笼。这样，火神的注意力就会被分散，灾难也就可以避免了。
The emperor followed Dongfang Shuo's advice, and while everyone was out viewing the lanterns, Yuanxiao was able to sneak out of the palace and be reunited with her parents.
帝采纳了东方朔的建议，当所有人都外出赏灯时，元宵得以有机会溜出皇宫，和家人团圆。
Although the above stories are quite fantastical, it is sure that the origins of Lantern Festival are related to ancient humanity's use of fire to celebrate festivals and avert disaster. Since Lantern Festival involves making offerings to the deities and is celebrated at night, it is natural that fire would play an important role.
虽然上述的传说很神奇，但可以确定的是元宵节的起源必定跟古代人们使用火来庆祝节日、躲避灾难有关。元宵节活动包括逃避邪神，且是在晚上庆祝，所以很自然地，火就扮演了很重要的角色。
Over time, Lantern Festival gradually evolved into its present form. When Buddhism was introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty , the emperor decreed that on the night of the full moon of the first lunar month, lanterns should be lit to honor Buddha, adding yet another level of significance to Lantern Festival.
随着时间的流逝，元宵节逐渐演变为今天的形式。东汉时期，佛教传入中国，皇帝下令，在正月第一个满月的晚上，必须点亮灯笼敬佛，这也使元宵节更增添了一份意义。
And according to Daoism, Lantern Festival is associated with the primordial deities of Heaven and Fire, who were born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
而在道教里，元宵节是与掌管天界和火的元神紧密相连的。因为他们就诞生在正月十五。
This is a festival for people having fun. On the night of the festival, people go on streets with a variety of lanterns under the full moon, watching lions or dragon dancing, playing Chinese riddles and games, and lighting up firecrackers. There is really a lot of fun for the young and the old.
按中国民间的传统，在这天上皓月高悬的夜晚，人们要点起彩灯万盏，以示庆贺。出门赏月、燃灯放焰、喜猜灯谜、共吃元宵，合家团聚、同庆佳节，其乐融融。
吃元宵 Eating Yuanxiao
Eating yuanxiao (sweet dumplings made with glutinous rice flour) is one of the special traditions of Lantern Festival. Lantern Festival is also called Yuanxiao Festival. Another name for yuanxiao is tangyuan, which literally means "boiled spheres."
吃元宵（有糯米粉制成的甜馅儿食物）是元宵节一个特别传统，而元宵节也因这种食物得名。元宵的另一种叫法是汤圆，字面意思就是“煮熟的圆球状食品”。
Yuanxiao is sticky, sweet and round in shape, symbolizing family unity, completeness and happiness.
元宵口感粘糯，口味香甜，外观浑圆，象征着一家人团圆、美满和幸福。
猜灯谜 Guessing lantern riddles
"Guessing lantern riddles"is an essential part of the Festival. Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer. If they are right, they will get a little gift. The activity emerged during people's enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become popular among all social strata.
猜灯谜也是元宵节活动的一个基本组成部分。灯笼的所有者将谜语写在一张纸条上，然后将纸条展示在灯笼上。如果赏灯者猜出谜语，就将纸条取出，然后找灯笼所有者确认答案。打对的话，他们就可以领取一份小礼品。这个活动起源于宋朝（960——1279）。猜灯谜活动极富情趣和智慧，因此在全社会广受欢迎。
看烟花 Watch fireworks
In the daytime of the Festival, performances such as a dragon lantern dance, a lion dance, a land boat dance, a yangge dance, walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged.
元宵节的白天会有舞龙舞狮、划旱船、扭秧歌、踩高跷。
On the night, except for magnificent lanterns, fireworks form a beautiful scene. Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival.
而在晚上，除了各种大型灯会，灿烂的焰火也是一幅美丽的画卷。很多家庭在春节时会留下一部分烟花等着元宵节放。
Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party. On the night when the first full moon enters the New Year, people become really intoxicated by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.
有的地方政府甚至会组织焰火晚会。当新年的第一轮圆月升上夜空时，人们都会因燃放的烟火和空中的明月而兴奋。
元宵节相关词汇：
元宵节 The Lantern Festival
舞狮 lion dance (The lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.)
舞龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests)
戏曲 traditional opera
杂耍 variety show; vaudeville
灯谜 riddles written on lanterns
灯会 exhibit of lanterns
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