The Lantern Festival
Second Breakfast Club
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Content
• Introduction
• Origins and Stories of Lantern
Festival
• Activities
• Festivities
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Happy Lantern
Festival!
元宵节快乐！
Date: 15th day of the
First Lunar Month
(February 5, 2023)
Importance: Marks the
end of the Chinese New
Year (Spring
Festival) period
Celebrations: Enjoying
lanterns, Lantern
riddles, Eating tangyuan
(ball dumplings in soup),
Lion dances, Dragon
dances, etc.
History: About 2,000
years
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Origins and
Stories
• The killing of the Jade Emperor's favorite crane.
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Buddhist Celebration
• The first ruler of the Eastern Han
Dynasty (25-200), Emperor Han
Mingdi.
• He was an advocate of Buddhism.
• The Emperor ordered to light
lanterns on the 15th day of the first
lunar month.
• It developed into a folk custom.
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The Lion Dance
• In Chinese Culture the Lion Dance symbolizes
Power, Wisdom and Superiority.
• It is performed to bring prosperity and good luck.
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Lion Dance Styles in China
The Southern Lion Dance
• Originated in Guangdong.
• Based on the study of a lion's behaviour, with an emphasis on
actions like scratching, shaking of the body, and licking of fur.
• Skilful performances, such as playing with a ball, which
includes swallowing it.
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The Northern Lion Dance
• Close relations to Kungfu
(Chinese martial arts.)
• A young lion is performed by a
single person and an adult
lion performed by a duo.
• More gymnastic, involving
rolling, wrestling, leaping,
jumping and climbing.
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Dragon Dance
• Symbolizes wisdom, power, and wealth,
and they are believed to bring good luck.
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Dragon dances can be performed in a
variety of ways with dragon costumes
of different colours.
Different colours of dragon dance have
different meanings.
• Green symbolizes a great harvest;
• Yellow symbolizes respect for the
empire;
• Gold or silver symbolize prosperity;
• Red is used to create excitement and
usher in good fortune.
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Dragon Dance Styles
Southern Dragon Dance
• Originated from the south of the Yangtze River.
• Emphasizes momentum, strength, and grand
appearance.
• Southern dragon's body is more elaborate and
heavier than northern's.
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Nothern Dragon Dance
• Developed north of the Yangtze River.
• Northern dragons are usually made with fluorescent
materials for dark environments.
• Displays strength, grandeur and flexibility in its
dancing moves.
• The northern style is more similar to lion dances.
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Lighting and
Watching Lantern
• Lighting and appreciating lanterns is
the main activity of Yuan Xiao Jie
(Lantern Festival)
• The traditional lanterns are always
red to invoke good fortune.
• It symbolises "Illuminating the
Future"
• The lanterns have various designs to
illustrate traditional Chinese
imagery and symbols.
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• Guessing lantern riddles started in the song
dynasty.
Lantern Riddles
• Lantern owners write riddles on paper notes and
paste them on the lanterns
• These riddles mostly contain messages of wisdom
and good fortune as it’s a fun way of practising
language and solving skills.
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Lantern festival
food: Tangyuan
• Tangyuan is an essential celebration
in the Lantern Festival.
• They are made by rice and sweet
syrup and usually eaten after the
lanterns are released to the sky.
• Its round shape symbolizes
wholeness and completeness.
• Eating Tangyuan is a way for the
Chinese to convey love, regards and
best wishes for their families.
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Conclusion
• Lantern festival symbolizes the
end of the new year and the
beginning of spring.
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Bibliography
• Chinaculture.org. n.d. “Lion Dance.” Accessed May 28, 2023. http://en.chinaculture.org/library/200801/23/content_37834.htm.
• “Chinese Lantern Festival 2023: Feb. 5, Traditions, Food, Events.”
n.d. https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/lantern-festival.htm.
• “Chinese Lion Dances: What Is It and What Does It Symbolize?” 2023. China
Highlights. https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/special-report/chinese-new-year/new-year-liondance.htm.
• Cindy. 2022. “Chinese Lantern Festival 2023: Feb. 5, Traditions, Food, Events.” China
Highlights. https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/lantern-festival.htm.
• “The Lantern Festival and Dragon Dance - Free Printable Chinese New Year Reading Comprehension Worksheet
and Online Questions for 3rd, 4th, 5th Grade or higher, on desktop, tablet and mobile phone browser.”
n.d. WorksheetsPLUS. Accessed May 28, 2023. https://worksheetsplus.com/chinNY/chinNYfest.html.
• “What Is Chinese Dragon Dance? What is the Meaning?” 2023. China
Highlights. https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/special-report/chinese-new-year/new-year-dragondance.htm.
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•
Thank You !
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