February 12 falls on the Lantern Festival, also known as Yuan Xiao Festival in Chinese. This is a highly significant traditional Chinese festival that occurs on the 15th day of the first lunar month, signifying the conclusion of the New Year festivities. On this day, as night descends, children head out to temples, each carrying a paper lantern, and engage in the fun activity of solving riddles attached to the lanterns. What Lantern Festival celebration activities do you know of?
2月12日，农历正月十五，元宵节（又称上元节），这是一个极具重要意义的中国传统节日，标志着春节的正式结束。元宵节期间，孩子们会在夜晚提着纸灯笼前往寺庙，并猜灯笼上的灯谜。你知道的元宵节庆祝活动有哪些？
1. Eating small dumpling balls
舌尖上的甜蜜限定：吃元宵/汤圆
Just as the name implies, an important part of the Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xiao Festival, is to eat small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour. We call these balls yuanxiao, or tangyuan. Made of sticky rice flour filled with sweet or salty stuffing and round in shape, the dumpling symbolizes family unity, completeness and happiness. Sweet fillings are made of sugar, walnuts, sesame, osmanthus flowers, rose petals, sweetened tangerine peel, bean paste or jujube paste. A single ingredient or any combination can be used as the filling. The salty variety is filled with minced meat, vegetables or a mixture of both.
顾名思义，元宵节（又称上元节）一项重要的活动就是吃用糯米粉做成的小汤圆。它们被称作“元宵”或“汤圆”。汤圆由糯米粉制成，内馅有甜口或咸口，形状为圆形，象征着团圆和美满。甜馅由糖、核桃、芝麻、桂花、玫瑰花瓣、陈皮、豆沙或枣泥制成。可以用单一的原料，也可以用多种原料混合作为馅料。咸馅则包有肉馅、蔬菜馅或两者混合的馅料。
The way to make yuanxiao also varies between northern and southern China. In the northern provinces, people tend to eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival, while in the southern China, people prefer Tangyuan. The usual method followed in the southern provinces is to shape the dough into balls, make a hole, insert the filling, then close the hole and smooth out the dumpling by rolling it between your hands. In North China, sweet or non-meat stuffing is the usual ingredient. The fillings are pressed into hardened cores, dipped lightly in water and rolled in a flat basket containing dry glutinous rice flour. A layer of the flour sticks to the filling, which is then again dipped in water and rolled a second time in the rice flour. And so it goes, like rolling a snowball, until the dumpling is the desired size.
元宵的制作方法在中国南北方也存在差异。北方地区更倾向于在元宵节吃元宵，南方地区则更偏向于吃汤圆。南方省份常见的做法是，先把糯米面团搓成球状，在球上挖个洞，填入馅料，然后把洞口封上，再用双手来回滚动，使元宵表面变得光滑。在北方，馅料通常是甜口或不含肉类的。先将馅料压制成硬块，轻轻蘸水，然后在装有干糯米粉的扁篮里滚动。馅料表面会粘上一层糯米粉，接着再次蘸水，又一次在糯米粉中滚动。如此这般，就像滚雪球一样，直至元宵达到理想的大小。
2. A sea of lanterns
视觉盛宴：花灯
Lantern - viewing is one of the most iconic activities during the Lantern Festival. It's not merely a visual treat but also a manifestation of traditional Chinese culture. During the Lantern Festival, lantern shows pop up all over the place. There, you'll find an array of gorgeously-shaped lanterns in a dazzling spectrum of colors, making for a super lively and energetic scene. As night falls, lantern fairs light up different areas, with the lights twinkling brightly.
赏花灯是元宵节期间最具代表性的活动之一，它不仅仅是一种视觉上的享受，更是中华民族传统文化的一种展现。元宵节期间，各地会举办灯会，展出各种精美造型的花灯，五彩斑斓，热闹非凡。晚上，各地会举办游园灯会，灯光璀璨。
While enjoying the lantern displays, people can not only marvel at the lanterns' beautiful exteriors but also delve into the cultural meanings and craftsmanship behind them. In numerous locations, lantern exhibitions or contests are organized, where folk artisans are invited to demonstrate their lantern - making skills.
在赏花灯的过程中，人们不仅可以欣赏到花灯的美丽外观，还可以了解到花灯背后的文化内涵和制作工艺。许多地方还会举办花灯展览或比赛，邀请民间艺人展示他们的花灯制作技艺.
3. Guessing lantern riddles
智慧与趣味的碰撞：猜灯谜
When it comes to the Lantern Festival, “Guessing lantern riddles” is an essential component. Lantern owners will write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns in advance. If visitors can answer the riddles, they can just pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answers. If they are right, they will get a little gift. The activity emerged during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become popular among all social strata.
说到元宵节，“猜灯谜”是必不可少的环节。花灯的主人会把谜语写在一张纸上，提前贴在花灯上。如果游客能猜出谜语，就可以把纸条揭下来，去找花灯主人核对答案。如果猜对了，就能得到一份小礼物。这项活动起源于宋朝（960 - 1279年）。由于猜灯谜既有趣又充满智慧，它在社会各阶层中都广受欢迎。
Strips of paper inscribed with riddles dangle beneath the lanterns. These riddles can be delightfully witty or carry deep connotations, spanning across history, literature, and the diverse tapestry of life. People pause, engrossed in thought, straining every mental muscle. As they grapple with deciphering these riddles, they not only uncover the sheer ingenuity of Chinese characters but also gain a profound sense of the vastness and depth of traditional culture.
一张张写满谜面的纸条，挂在花灯之下，谜面或幽默诙谐，或寓意深刻，涵盖历史、文学、生活万象。人们驻足思索，绞尽脑汁，在解谜的过程中，既领略了汉字的奇妙，又感受了传统文化的博大精深。(周金淼）