The Spring Lantern Festival (also known as Yuan Xiao Jie or Shang Yuan Festival) is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the 15th day of the first Lunar month, marking the end of Chinese New Year festivities.

It signifies the return of spring, the first full moon of the year, and fosters family reunions through vibrant displays of illuminated lanterns and riddles.

Traditions🏮

• Lantern displays & riddles: Streets and homes are filled with colourful, red lanterns. A popular activity is writing riddles on paper notes and attaching them to lanterns for people to solve. Sometimes there are small gifts for correct answers.
• Eating Tang Yuan (Yuan Xiao): Small, round dumplings made of glutinous rice flour with sweet fillings (sesame, red bean or peanut) are eaten. They can be boiled, fried, or steamed, and is traditionally served in fermented rice soup. Their round shape symbolises the full moon and desires for happiness and family reunions. 
• Cultural performances: The festival features vibrant, loud performances, including dragon and lion dances to bring good luck, as well as firework displays. 

Lanterns are the most common tradition which symbolise letting go of the past year's self and welcoming a new, bright future.

Have a wonderful time celebrating this year!