The first month of the Chinese Lunar month is called the yuan month, and night means "Xiao" so it is called the yuan xiao Festival in China. The fifteenth day is the first full moon of that lunisolar year. According to Taoist tradition, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Shàngyuán, corresponds to the "Official of light" who enjoys colourful and light objects, so there should be heaps and heaps of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. people will try to solve puzzles on lanterns, eat lots of food like glutinous rice balls named after the festival, and enjoy a family reunion.

Chinese Lantern Festival getting popular in Western Country

Chinese Lantern Festival in London. This is a major Chinese Lantern Festival in Western Country outside from China. Origin legends

There are many different beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival. However, one likely origin is the celebration of "the declining darkness of winter" and community's ability to "move about at night with human-made light," namely, lanterns. During the Han Dynasty, the festival was connected to Ti Yin, the deity of the North Star.

Red lanterns, often seen during the festivities in China

One legend tells us that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times. The belief was that the God of Heaven controlled the destiny of the human world. He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings. Beginning with Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, who named China, all the emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people.

Wudi of the Han Dynasty directed special attention to this event. In 104 BCE, he proclaimed it to be one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.

Another legend associates the Lantern Festival with Taoism. Tianguan is the Taoist god responsible for good fortune. His birthday falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It is said that Tianguan likes all types of entertainment, so followers prepare various kinds of activities during which they pray for good fortune.

Another legend associates the Lantern Festival with an ancient warrior name Lan Moon, who led a rebellion against the tyrannical king in ancient China. He was killed in the storming of the city and the successful rebels commemorated the festival in his name.