What is the meaning and representation of the Lantern Festival?
Introduction: China is a traditional country with many traditional cultural festivals, and different festivals have different customs. Playing with lanterns is one of the customs of the Lantern Festival. So, why do we play with lanterns during the Lantern Festival and what is its meaning? Now, let’s follow the editor to learn about it. During the first month of the lunar calendar, you will have a good year. The first month is the most important month of spring. Mr. Shui Mo will share with you some knowledge about January.What is the meaning of playing with lanterns during the Lantern Festival?People set up a "Heaven and Earth Hall" when they worship God on New Year's Eve. People set up a small shed in the yard, and inside the shed, on a small table, stood an altar for "the True Ruler of Heaven, Earth, Three Realms and All Spirits in the Ten Directions"; in front of the altar, there were incense burners, offerings, and a lantern hanging, which represented the seat of Jiang Taigong. It is said that when Jiang Taigong was conferring titles on everyone else, he forgot to confer titles on himself, so he had no seat and had to sit with God.Lanterns are related to gods, so they are also given a lot of symbolic meanings. In ancient times, in order to dispel the fear of darkness, lanterns evolved to have the meaning of exorcising evil spirits, bringing blessings, and praying for light. In Minnan dialect, “deng” and “ding” have similar pronunciations, so lanterns are also used to pray for children, fame, and to ward off evil and achieve peace. There is a kind of "light lantern". At the end of the year and the beginning of the next year, people put lanterns in temples to use the power of Buddha to pray for peace and prosperity in the whole year. Some farmers also erect long bamboo poles in the fields and hang a lantern on them to "light the silkworms" and observe the color of the fire to predict the year's flood and drought conditions, in the hope of a good harvest. The origin of the custom of “releasing sky lanterns” is that in the past, people would release sky lanterns as a signal to each other to report their safety after fleeing from bandits. Since the day when they returned home for refuge was the Lantern Festival, from then on, people would celebrate this day every year with the ceremony of releasing sky lanterns, so sky lanterns were also called "blessing lanterns" or "peace lanterns." Later, it gradually evolved into a folk activity of praying for blessings and making wishes to God. The sky lanterns are filled with various prayers in people’s hearts, hoping that the sky lanterns can reach heaven and bring infinite hope and light to people. Legend has it that Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, encouraged reading, and people sent their children to school. The first program upon enrollment is called "turning on the lights", which means bringing lanterns made in advance to school and asking a knowledgeable old gentleman to light them up, symbolizing a bright future. In the past, private schools usually started after the 15th day of the first lunar month, so the lanterns displayed at the beginning of school became an embellishment of the "Lantern Festival". There are many kinds of lanterns for the Lantern Festival. Some are image lanterns made in the image of things, such as dragon lanterns, tiger lanterns, rabbit lanterns, etc.; some are movable lanterns made based on folk stories, such as the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, etc., expressing the national spirit of loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness. The various lanterns are skillfully made, showcasing the wisdom and skills of the craftsmen. With the development of the times, the Lantern Festival has become more and more grand, with stronger national characteristics, and the duration of the festival has become longer and longer. The Lantern Festival in the Tang Dynasty lasted for three days, one day before and one day after the Lantern Festival. In the Song Dynasty, two days were added after the 16th, making it five days in total. In the Ming Dynasty, it was extended to a full ten days, from the 8th to the 18th. Because the lighting periods are different, the first day when the lanterns are lit is called "trial lanterns", the fifteenth day is called "main lanterns", and the last day is called "remaining lanterns" or "last lanterns". It is also called "magic lamp", "human lamp" or "ghost lamp". The night of the fourteenth is called the "God Lantern", which is placed in front of the home altar and ancestral temple to offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors; the night of the fifteenth is called the "Human Lantern", which is placed on doors, windows, beds, tables, etc. to ward off scorpions and insects; the night of the sixteenth is called the "Ghost Lantern", which is placed on hills, tombs, and fields to help wandering souls escape from the ghost realm. Pray to God's will above and protect the people below, without leaving out any gods, humans, ghosts or animals. [2] Summary: Through the above article, we know the meaning and origin of the Lantern Festival. I hope you will like this content. I wish you all good luck in the new year and all your wishes come true! 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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