2. The Lantern Festival marks
the end of the Chinese New
Year Festivities with the first full
moon of the year. On this
brightly lit night, thousands of
lanterns line the streets, hung
from homes and storefronts,
setting the stage for the
processions and colorful
performances to end the
festivities.
There will be a variety of
clowns, stilt walkers, acrobats,
floats and parades, music and
drums and of course
the Chinese Lion andDragon
Dances and firecrackers.
Children carry their lanterns
around the village and families
come together to eat sweet rice
balls for good fortune and
family unity.
3. Chinese Lanternswere traditionally
made of silk, paper and even glass.
Although the most common is the typical
red balloon lantern, nowadays Chinese
Lanterns come in a variety of shapes,
sizes and colors.
There are lanterns in shapes of boxes,
lotus flowers, dragons, butterflies and all
sorts of animals.
They range from the small lanterns
carried by hand made of paper by
school children to gigantic floats shaped
in the Chinese Zodiac animal for that
year made by teams of craftsmen.
4. THERE ARE MANY LEGENDS AS TO THE ORIGINS OF
THE LANTERN FESTIVAL AND MANY POPULAR
TRADITIONAL PRACTICES HAVE EVOLVED THROUGH
THE YEARS.
ONE PARTICULAR CELEBRATION IN THE MOUNTAIN
AREA OF PINGXI RIGHT OUTSIDE TAIPEI IS
PARTICULARLY STUNNING. KNOWN AS THE "FESTIVAL
OF THE SKY LANTERNS", HUNDREDS OF LANTERNS
DECORATED WITH PICTURES AND CALLIGRAPHY WITH
"LUCKY SAYINGS" ARE LIT AND RELEASED INTO THE
SKY IN UNISON.
CLICK ON THE ARROW AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
DELIGHTFUL VIDEO, IT'S A SHORT ONE-MINUTE CLIP:
