Today is Lantern Festival, or 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié), which marks the end of the Chinese New Year holiday. It dates back at least two thousand years, and like the rest of Spring Festival, it’s a time to celebrate with family.
It’s got special traditions of its own though: lantern-lighting of course, as well as moon-gazing, eating sweet rice balls, and watching lion dances! (Not to be confused with line dances, though square dancing abounds in China, insofar as older people enjoy organized dancing in city squares. Rarely are cowboy hats involved.)
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Happy Lantern Festival! 元宵节快乐!
