The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the very last day of the Chinese New Year festivals (the 15th day of the 1st month) which is celebrated on the first full moon of the new year, and it is interestingly also Tian Guan’s birthday.
Tian Guan is also often mistaken as Fu Xing who is often associated with Lu Xing and Shou Xing. Fu Xing is the god of good fortune like Tian Guan, but Tian Guan also likes all types of entertainment so people do all kinds of activities during the Lantern Festival to say to Tian Guan that they want good fortune during the year.
During the Lantern Festival many lanterns are lighted, red is the colour traditionally used and they do come in great number in areas where many celebrate this festival. People also eat tangyuan, a dumpling made of sweet rice in the shape of a ball and filled with sweet fillings. Eating this sticky food symbolizes family unity and happiness.
Walking on stilts during this time as well as doing a dragon dance or a lion dance is also popular during this time. Performers will often do difficult movements while on stilts.
What are Lu Xing and Shou Xing the gods of?
ReplyDeleteLu is the god of wealth while Shou is the god of longevity.
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