Lanterns, Riddles and Sweet Dumplings, Have a Happy and Lively Lantern Festival in Tianjin!

　　(Source: Tianjin Tourism)

Lantern Festival, also known as Yuan Xiao Festival and Shang Yuan Festival, is the first important festival after Spring Festival, which is one of the traditional festival celebrated by Chinese and overseas Chinese. In lunar calendar of China, Lantern Festival is on the fifteenth day of the first month, which is also the first full-moon night of the year. In Chinese “Yuan” refers to the first month in lunar calendar and “Xiao” refers to night in ancient time. Thus, Lantern Festival is also called as “Yuan Xiao Festival”.

(Source: Tianjin Tourism)

The original meaning of “Yuan Xiao” is the night of Shang Yuan Festival, because the main activities of the festival are eating sweet dumplings and admiring the beautiful moon at night. At the night of the festival, lanes and streets are decorated with lanterns and streamers. People admire lanterns, guess riddles and eat sweet dumplings. Celebration activities started from Chinese New Year’s Eve are continued at the night to be another climax. In Tianjin some customs of Lantern Festival have been inherited to now that Tianjin people are used to celebrate the festival from the fourteenth day to sixteenth day of first lunar month, lasting three days.

Eating sweet dumpling to have a happy family!　

(Source: Tianjin Tourism)

Daqiaodao Pastry is a famous old shop of Tianjin. The old and new flavors sweet dumplings there are both popular. Peanuts, jujube and haw are traditional old flavors and blueberry is the best sold new flavor tasting sour and sweet with some pulp in them. On Lantern Festival, eating a bowl of fresh made sweet dumpling symbolizes that you will have a happy and reunion family in new year.

Steamed “hedgehogs” and “mice” bring wealth home!　

(Source: Tianjin Tourism)

In Tianjin, on fourteenth day of first lunar month, people are busy kneading dough to make steamed buns in appearance of “hedgehog” and “mouse”. Small triangle points are cut out on dough to be spines of hedgehog and two pieces of sorghum rice are decorated as eyes. Four feet and the long tail of mouse are cut out on dough and two pieces of black soya beans are decorated eyes.

(Source: Tianjin Tourism)

Besides, some small dough in appearance of shoe-shaped gold ingot are made to put on backs of “hedgehogs” and “mice”. In the morning of Lantern Festival, these steamed “hedgehogs” and “mice” will be put on corners of windowsill, gate pier and hearth facing outside. And in the afternoon, they will be turned to face inside with the symbolization of bringing wealth home.

Admiring lanterns and guessing riddles to celebrate the festival!　　

(Source: Tianjin Tourism)

On Lantern Festival, all kinds of colored lanterns will be hung and people will set off fireworks to celebrate. Riddles will be written on paper and stuck on lanterns for people to guess, which has become an indispensable part of Lantern Festival. This year during Lantern Festival, tourists can attend the large scale Yangliuqing Lantern Show in Xiqing District to admire lanterns, guess riddles and have a happy and lively festival.

Uncles should gift lanterns to nephews for blessing!　

(Source: Tianjin Tourism)

On Lantern Festival, Uncles should gift lanterns to nephews, which is a traditional folk custom of Tianjin. The lantern should be in particular appearance of duck, taking the harmonic tone of “Yazi” with the meaning of blessing. Now, the custom has been evoluted that Golden Fish Lantern and Caltrop Lantern can also be gifted with the meaning of wealth and luck.