There are many theories about the origin of the Lantern Festival, among which the most popular one is related to Taoism. Taoism believes in the "three official gods", and it is said that all the "three official gods" have their own birthdays. Among them, Tianguan's birthday is the fifteenth day of the first month. It is said that officials in charge of heaven protect the world, so people happily celebrate the birthday of the "God of Heaven" on this day and pray that "God of Heaven protects the people".
On the Lantern Festival, every family eats Yuanxiao, also known as Tangyuan. Legend has it that it originated in the late Spring and Autumn Period. There are many kinds of Yuanxiao, including sweet, sour, spicy and salty. There are two ways to bag jiaozi, shake it. There are three ways to eat: boiling, frying and steaming.
What excites me most is that I can see the process of dragon lantern dance. The origin of this activity can be traced back to ancient times. In the long-term development and evolution, dragon lanterns have formed many styles. Usually, this kind of dragon is made of bamboo. In the past Lantern Festival, I went to the city square to watch the dragon dance. The people watching the dragon dance are a sea of people, and the "dragon" dances with the accompaniment of gongs and drums. I can't help dancing when I watch it.
There are also boating programs on the Lantern Festival. According to folklore, this activity is to commemorate Dayu's flood control. The so-called dry boat is a sedan chair made of thin wooden boards and bamboo shoots and decorated with colored cloth. Most of the rowers are girls. They sat on the boat, paddled with paddles in their hands, and sang some local songs while rowing. Others dressed up as clowns and boatmen and amused the audience with all kinds of antics. Dry boats are very popular in many areas of our country.
Light without ears does not entertain people, and the moon without lights does not spring. Spring is everywhere, just like the lady seen here. On a bright moonlit night, flashing lanterns set off the moon like pure silver.