Why do we guess riddles during the Lantern Festival? What is the origin of guessing riddles?
Introduction: The Lantern Festival is an important traditional festival in our country, and guessing lantern riddles is one of the customs of the Lantern Festival. So, why do we guess riddles during the Lantern Festival? What is the meaning of guessing riddles and where did they originate? Now, let’s follow the editor to take a look. The first month of the lunar calendar is an important month. Let us pay attention to the traditional festivals and solar terms in the first month and have a good start of the month.What is lantern riddles and what is the meaning of lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival?The Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese festival which has existed as early as the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. The Lantern Festival began during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Emperor Ming promoted Buddhism. He heard that in Buddhism, monks would view Buddha relics and light lanterns to worship Buddha on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. So he ordered that lanterns be lit in the palace and temples on that night to worship Buddha, and ordered both the nobles and common people to hang lanterns. Later, this Buddhist ritual festival gradually became a grand folk festival. This festival has gone through a development process from the palace to the folk, and from the Central Plains to the whole country.The Lantern Festival is also known as the Festival of Lights. The custom of lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival originated in the Han Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the lantern-viewing activities became more prosperous. Lanterns were hung everywhere in the imperial palace and on the streets, and tall lantern wheels, lantern towers and lantern trees were built. The great Tang Dynasty poet Lu Zhaolin once described the grand occasion of lighting lanterns on the Lantern Festival in his "Watching Lanterns on the 15th Night" like this: "It seems like the stars have fallen from the sky, and the moon seems to be hanging on the tower." The Song Dynasty attached more importance to the Lantern Festival, and the lantern appreciation activities were more lively. The lantern appreciation activities lasted for 5 days, and the styles of lanterns were also more diverse. In the Ming Dynasty, lantern appreciation lasted for 10 consecutive days, which was the longest Lantern Festival in China. Although the lantern appreciation activities in the Qing Dynasty only lasted for 3 days, the scale of the lantern appreciation activities was large and the grand occasion was unprecedented. In addition to lighting lanterns, fireworks were also set off to add to the fun. "Guessing lantern riddles" is also called "playing lantern riddles". It is an activity added after the Lantern Festival and appeared in the Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, riddles were made in the capital Lin'an every Lantern Festival, and many people came to guess the riddles. In the beginning, curious people would write riddles on pieces of paper and stick them on colorful lanterns for people to guess. Because riddles can enlighten the mind and are interesting, they are welcomed by all walks of life during the process of circulation. It is a folk custom to eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival. Yuanxiao is made of glutinous rice and can be solid or stuffed. The origin of guessing lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival:According to legend, a long time ago, there was a rich man known as the Smiling Tiger. When he saw someone well-dressed, he would try his best to curry favor with him; but when he saw a poor person in rags, he would puff out his beard and glare at him. There was a young man named Wang Shao who was kicked out of the door by his father when he went to borrow food because his clothes were tattered. After Wang Shao returned, he became angrier and angrier. On the night of the Lantern Festival, he made a big lantern and came to the door of Smiling Tiger's house. There is a poem inscribed on this big lantern. The Smiling Tiger went forward to take a look, and saw that it was written: Pointed head, thin body, white as silver, not even a centimeter on its weight; eyes grow on its butt, and it only recognizes clothes and not people.After reading it, Smiling Tiger was so angry that his face turned red and he was furious. He shouted, "How dare you scold me, you boy?" He ordered his servants to grab the lantern. Wang Shao quickly picked up the lantern and said with a smile, "Hey, master, don't be suspicious. My four lines of poetry are a riddle. The answer is 'needle'. Think about it, right? How can this 'needle' be directed at you? Could it be that the 'needle' is speaking to you, otherwise how do you know it is speaking to you?" Smiling Tiger thought about it and realized that it was not the case. He could only stare angrily and walked away in shame. Everyone around him laughed. After the news spread, it spread further and further. During the Lantern Festival of the following year, people followed suit and wrote riddles on lanterns for people’s entertainment. That’s why it is called “lantern riddles”. Later, guessing lantern riddles and playing with lantern tigers became important activities of the Lantern Festival. There are several chapters in "Dream of Red Mansions" that describe the scenes of Qing people making lantern riddles. The lantern riddle activity has been passed down to this day. Although spring lantern riddles belong to the minor arts and literature, they cover everything from astronomy to geography, classics, history, poetry, and modern knowledge. It is not easy to guess them without a certain cultural literacy. Their mystery and humor are enough to express one's feelings, exercise one's thinking, and inspire the spirit. It is a kind of intellectual and entertaining activity. Summary: Through the above article, we know the meaning of guessing riddles on the Lantern Festival and the origin of guessing riddles. I hope you will like it. I wish you all good luck and good fortune in the new year! After reading this article, there are more exciting contents in the special topic of the first month of the lunar calendar. Let’s take a look! |
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