The Lantern Festival is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, usually celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, also known as the "Festival of Lights". The Lantern Festival marks the official end of the Chinese New Year and is the last day of the Spring Festival celebrations.
There are various explanations for the origin of the Lantern Festival, one of which is related to religious beliefs and agricultural activities in ancient times. According to legend, the Lantern Festival first originated from the ancient sacrificial stove activities, where people sacrificed to the king of the stove on this day and prayed for a good harvest in the coming year. Another related legend is related to the resistance of the Han Chinese to foreign enemies, involving the story of the military general Guan Yu and the moon goddess Chang'e.
One of the most famous legends of the Lantern Festival is the story of Chang'e running to the moon. There were ten blazing suns in the sky that dried up the earth, dried up the rivers, and withered the crops. In order to save the world, a heroic shooter, Hou Yi, stepped forward. He drew his bow and arrows, and in one fell swoop, he successfully shot down nine suns, bringing new life to the earth.
However, this miracle aroused the wrath of the sun god. The sun god thought that Hou Yi's behavior was too arrogant, so he cursed him and his wife Chang'e for not being able to stay in the world for long. In order to escape the pursuit of the gods, Hou Yi and Chang E are forced to flee to distant places.
Living in exile, they went to the moon and lived an ordinary and quiet life, until one day, Hou Yi heard that there was an elixir of immortality in the Dragon Palace of the East China Sea. For the couple, it was an opportunity to get back on Earth.
So, Hou Yi embarked on an adventurous journey to find the elixir of immortality, leaving his wife Chang'e alone. After his departure, Chang'e watched the years alone, with endless expectations for her husband's return.
However, as time passed, Hou Yi has not been able to find the elixir of immortality. In order to protect his wife, he never returned to Chang'e's side. After Hou Yi's departure, Chang E felt emotional, and she decided to guard the memories left by Hou Yi on the moon.
Therefore, in the Lantern Festival, in addition to appreciating the lanterns and tasting the Lantern Festival, people will also admire the moon and hold various celebrations, such as guessing lantern riddles, dragon and lion dances, etc., which increases the joyful atmosphere of the festival.