Marking the first full moon of the lunar calendar, the Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xiao Festival (元宵節), is the fifteenth and final day of Lunar New Year celebrations. While the celebration of the Lantern festival dates back over 2,000 years to the Han dynasty, there are many stories and legends that try to explain the origin of the festival. This year, the Lantern Festival falls on Friday, February 26th.
To help you and your children celebrate at home this year, we have included three activities for your family below!
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Lighting Lanterns 燈籠
As the name of the festival implies, making and lighting lanterns is an extremely important part of the celebration. At nighttime, stunning displays of lanterns can be found adorning all types of buildings and in the streets. From shopping malls to parks and individual households, families walk the streets to admire the wonderful displays of light.
Celebrate at home: Download and print this lantern template to create your own paper lantern and celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Ox!
Download Lantern Coloring and Cutout Activity PDF
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Guessing Lantern Riddles 猜燈謎
The activity of guessing lantern riddles dates to ancient times, when clever poets and scholars attached riddles on small pieces of paper to lanterns during the festival. Those who can guess the correct answer may even win a prize from the owner of the lantern!
Celebrate at home: Try to solve these riddles and see if your family members and friends can guess the correct answer, too!
Download Lantern Riddles Activity (Chinese) PDF
Download Lantern Riddles Activity (English) PDF
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Eating Tangyuan 湯圓
No Chinese festival is complete without a signature food. During the Lantern Festival, families eat and sometimes make yuanxiao 元宵, or tangyuan 湯圓, at home. The round shape of tangyuan symbolize reunion and family togetherness. These glutinous rice dumplings are sometimes sweetly filled with red bean, black sesame paste, peanut paste, and more. Tangyuan are usually boiled and served with a sweet syrup or dessert soup like red bean soup.
Celebrate at home: Making and cooking your own tangyuan 湯圓 at home is a fun, simple, and kid-friendly activity.
Click here for a recipe from the blog Chinese American Family
Click here for a simple tangyuan recipe without fillings on YouTube
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