Is Shangyuan Festival the Lantern Festival? Why do we have to wear masks when going out during the Lantern Festival?

Is Shangyuan Festival the Lantern Festival? Why do we have to wear masks when going out during the Lantern Festival?
The Lantern Festival is one of China's traditional festivals. So, let's take a look at whether Shangyuan Festival is the Lantern Festival? Why do we have to wear masks when going out during the Lantern Festival? With the arrival of the new year, not only the fortune, but also the almanac and the content of good and bad luck have changed greatly. Click on the 2022 New Year's special topic on Shuimoxiansheng.com to learn more about the first month of the lunar calendar.

Is Shangyuan Festival the Lantern Festival?

Yes, the Lantern Festival is also called the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival is called Shangyuan Festival because of the "Three Yuan Theory"
The so-called Three Yuan refers to the Shangyuan Festival, Zhongyuan Festival and Xiayuan Festival.
Shangyuan means the first full-moon night of the new year. The origin of the Lantern Festival is recorded in "Miscellaneous Notes on the Seasons" that it is due to the old customs of Taoism. The Five Pecks of Rice Sect, an important Taoist sect in the late Han Dynasty, worshipped the God of Heaven, the God of Earth, and the God of Water. They believed that the God of Heaven bestowed blessings, the God of Earth forgiven sins, and the God of Water relieved disasters. They also paired the three officials with the Three Yuans, saying that the God of Heaven was born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month during the Shangyuan period, the God of Earth was born on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month during the Zhongyuan period, and the God of Water was born on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month during the Xiayuan period. Taoism in the Wei and Jin Dynasties matched the "Three Officials" with the time and seasons, and designated the 15th day of the first lunar month as the "Shangyuan" , the 15th day of the seventh lunar month as the "Zhongyuan", and the 15th day of the tenth lunar month as the "Xiayuan", collectively known as the "Three Yuans". In this way, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is called the Lantern Festival. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Wu Zimu said in "Dreams of the Southern Song Dynasty": "The Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is the day when the Heavenly Official of the Shangyuan Festival bestows blessings." Therefore, lanterns must be lit on the Shangyuan Festival.

Why do we have to wear masks when going out during the Lantern Festival?

Wearing a mask when going out during the Lantern Festival is actually one of the customs of the ancient Lantern Festival.
The Biography of Liu Yu in the Book of Sui records:
"On the night of the full moon in the first month of the lunar calendar, the streets are filled with people gathering to play and have fun. Drums are blasted to the sky, torches are lit to illuminate the ground, people wear animal masks, men dress like women, dancers perform acrobatics, and have strange and bizarre appearances."
The general meaning is that on the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the streets and alleys are full of people, and everyone gathers together to play games. The sound of gongs and drums shook the sky, and torches and candles illuminated the earth. Everyone wore beast masks, men dressed as women, and there were singing girls, actors, and jugglers, all in strange shapes and sizes.

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