Today is the Lantern Festival, and I will say two legends about the rice balls.
The first one is related to King Chu Zhao. According to legend, when King Zhao of Chu was inspecting the Yangtze River, he stumbled upon a fruit with a unique appearance and colorful colors. The outer layer of the fruit is delicate white with a hint of yellow, while the inside is as bright red as a brilliant rouge. King Chu Zhao was fascinated by its beauty and deliciousness, but none of his attendants could make out what kind of fruit it was. Driven by curiosity, King Zhao of Chu decided to ask his wise man, Confucius, for advice. He sent messengers with this fruit to the place where Confucius was. When Confucius saw it, he pondered for a moment, and then told the messenger that it was "duckweed fruit". He explained that the "duckweed fruit" is an auspicious symbol, and those who possess it are a sign that the country will usher in an opportunity for revival. King Chu Zhao was very happy when he heard this, thinking that this was a good omen given to him by heaven. Since he discovered the fruit on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he ordered that the "duckweed fruit" be imitated on this day every year as a celebration of the reunion and prosperity of the country. This tradition soon spread throughout the state of Chu and became an important festival custom. With the passage of time, the story of "duckweed fruit" has gradually evolved into the modern custom of eating tangyuan during the Lantern Festival. The shape of the dumplings symbolizes reunion and wholeness, while their sweet taste symbolizes the beauty and happiness of life. Nowadays, every fifteenth day of the first lunar month, every household will make rice balls to share the joy and blessings from ancient legends.
The second is said to be in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a palace maid named Lantern Xiao in the palace, because she was trapped in the deep palace for a long time, she could not contact the outside world, and her heart missed her parents very much, and she washed her face with tears every day. Later, her grief touched the minister of the palace, Dongfang Shuo. Dongfang Shuo is a resourceful and compassionate minister, and he can't bear to see the Lantern Festival girl in such pain, so he comes up with an ingenious plan to help her.
He reported to Emperor Wu of Han that the Jade Emperor had sent the god of fire down to earth and ordered him to burn the city of Chang'an on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to punish the sins of the world. Dongfang Shuo claimed that the only way to appease the fire god's anger and save the people of the city was to make and worship the fire god's favorite food on that day, tangyuan. Emperor Wu of Han was very shocked when he heard this, but he also believed Dongfang Shuo's words. He immediately ordered the Lantern Festival girl to prepare a large number of rice balls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and asked all the people to light lanterns to worship the god of fire.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival girl carefully made many rice balls according to Dongfang Shuo's instructions and lit countless lanterns in the city. When night falls, Chang'an City is illuminated by thousands of lights, as if it were day. Seeing this scene, the god of fire was moved by the people's piety and gave up the idea of burning Chang'an. Seeing this, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty knew Dongfang Shuo's good intentions, and was also pleased that the Lantern Festival girl was able to reunite with her family. Since then, in addition to eating rice balls, the Lantern Festival has added the custom of lighting lanterns, which has also spread among the people. Tangyuan symbolizes family reunion and happiness, while lanterns represent light and hope. This custom has continued to this day and has become an integral part of Chinese culture. Every year during the Lantern Festival, people will wrap dumplings and hang lanterns to celebrate this warm festival together.
The above are the two stories shared today, welcome to like and read.