The Lantern Festival is the culmination of all New Year celebrations and occurs on the last day of the Chinese New Year during a full moon. In fact, the festival is so important that lantern parks are built specifically for this event in China.
The Lantern Festival reaches its peak at night when all the lanterns light up and illuminate the streets with beautiful, soft, yellow colors. It is said that the practice of having the festival on the 15th day of the New Year originated during the Eastern Han Dynasty, more than 2,000 years ago. Back then, the lanterns were made from bamboo, silk and colorful paper. Today the majority are commercially are made from plastic and wires.
Solving Riddles During the Festival
A common activity at the Lantern Festival is to solve riddles that are attached to the lanterns on paper. For grown ups, some of the riddles can be very complex, but here are some fun lantern riddles for young children:
Riddle: What building has the most stories?
Answer: Library
Riddle: What do you call a rich fish?
Answer: A goldfish
Riddle: What runs but cannot walk?
Answer: Your nose
Riddle: What bow can’t be tied?
Answer: A rainbow
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