Meaning Of Chinese New Year Lanterns
Flying lanterns on special occasions such as the mid autumn festival you can see a unique type of floating lantern being released into the night skies over china.
Meaning of chinese new year lanterns. Red lanterns are very popular during the year s most important festivals most notably the chinese new year and lantern festival. Sometimes they are just decorations. In the streets of the big cities and small villages in china red colored lanterns set the scene during festivals especially chinese new year the mid autumn festival and the lantern festival.
For those abroad they can mean the entrance to a chinese restaurant. Chinese lanterns mean something different to everyone. It is commemorated on the 15th day of the chinese calendar s first lunar month.
The lantern festival or the spring lantern festival is a chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar chinese calendar usually falling in february or early march on the gregorian calendar it marks the final day of the traditional chinese new year celebrations. Lanterns hung at chinese new year are thought to scare aware the nian monster and bring good luck. Typically lanterns are hung up from the eve of the chinese new year signaling the start of the spring festival and are only removed after the spring lantern festival.
It is symbolizing the coming back of the spring. Sky or flying lanterns this type of lantern uses a flaming source to produce hot air allowing it to be airborne. Lanterns hanging during chinese new year are said to be lucky charms that frighten away the nian monster which according to legend is a fierce beast with sharp teeth and horns that would eat.
Lantern festival may be regarded as the last day of spring festival the new year festival of china in other words the spring festival does not end until the lantern festival has passed. Chinese lanterns signify momentous and joyful occasions. Red gold tasseled lanterns abound during the chinese lantern festival the day that marks the end of the chinese new year also known as the spring festival celebration.
Most chinese lanterns are red and lanterns of this color symbolize a prosperous business and a thriving life. The chinese lantern festival takes place on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the chinese new year. Lanterns can vary in color although red is the most common color and each color has its own meaning.