China Weather Network News "Colorful flowers and thousands of trees, colorful night sky", the annual Lantern Festival is coming, the second day of this year’s beginning of spring solar term is the Lantern Festival, and the two festivals are closely linked, which can be described as double happiness. Going out to enjoy lanterns on Lantern Festival is a traditional folk activity in China. What’s the weather like around the Lantern Festival this year? China Weather Network specially launched the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival index map, to see where there will be lanterns this year, and where to enjoy the snow and light the lanterns.
Most of the weather in the north is sunny, and the moon is accompanied by lights. In the south, it rains and lights.
Lantern Festival is also called Lantern Festival in ancient times. On this day, every household hangs lanterns or goes out to enjoy them. The city is decorated with lanterns and the night is like day, which sets off the lively and festive atmosphere to the extreme.
According to Zhang Juan, a meteorologist of China Weather Network, this year’s Lantern Festival (February 5), the weather in most parts of northern China is beautiful, mostly sunny or cloudy, such as Harbin, Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Xi’ an, etc. It is sunny on this day, so it is suitable to go out and enjoy the lanterns and feel the beauty of the bright moon with lanterns. Shenyang, Changchun, Jinan, Zhengzhou and other places have more clouds in the sky, and the "clouds with lights" are more poetic.
"On August 15th, Yun Zheyue, it snows and lights up on the 15th day of the first month" is a popular proverb in China. Snowfall at midnight snack this year is relatively small, and only snowflakes may appear in northern Xinjiang and southeastern Tibet, so the romantic friends who can feel the snow with lanterns this year can be said to be very lucky.
In the south, this year’s Lantern Festival is another scene. It is estimated that except Yunnan and Hainan, which are favored by the sunshine all the year round, most southern areas such as Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi will be rainy, with some areas in Guangxi, Guangdong and Jiangxi having strong rainfall and local or current heavy rain. Friends in the above areas need to carry rain gear with them when going out to enjoy the lanterns, and be careful of slippery roads. If the rain is too strong, it is also a good choice to stay at home and enjoy the lanterns with relatives.
The North-South Lantern Festival is full of excitement, and the equipment for enjoying lanterns is different.
Sichuan Zigong Lantern Festival scene. (photo/Zhu Xi)
Lantern Festival Lantern Festival has been preserved as a traditional folk activity in China, and the annual Lantern Festival in all parts of the country has its own characteristics, such as Beijing Longqingxia Ice Lantern Festival, Shanghai Yuyuan Lantern Festival, Sichuan Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival, Guangzhou Cultural Park Lantern Festival, etc. It has a long history and many tourists come here every year. In some cities that used to be ancient capitals, such as Xi ‘an and Nanjing, in recent years, the Lantern Festival has been combined with the culture of ancient capitals, so that tourists who are in the sea of colorful lights and Hanfu can "cross" in a second and dream back to Chang ‘an and Jinling.
According to the forecast, there may be rain on the Lantern Festival in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangdong this year, and the feeling of wet and cold is also obvious. The public who plan to visit these lantern festivals should pay attention to carrying rain gear and adding clothes to keep warm. Although the weather in Beijing, Shandong, Shaanxi and other places is mainly sunny or cloudy, the temperature at night is low and the chill is online. When you go out to enjoy the lights, you can choose a thick down jacket and wear a scarf and hat to keep warm. People are crowded during the Lantern Festival, and cold viruses are easy to cross-infect. Everyone should wear masks and do a good job in health protection.
The custom of Lantern Festival celebrates reunion and family fun together.
In fact, besides enjoying lanterns, there are many other traditional customs and folk activities in China, such as eating Lantern Festival, solve riddles on the lanterns Lantern Festival and Youlong Lantern Festival, and each custom also represents a different beautiful meaning.
1. Eat Yuanxiao/Tangyuan
The north "rolls" Yuanxiao, and the south "wraps" glutinous rice balls. Although the food is different, the beautiful implication is the same: good luck and happy reunion. For China people, it is a very happy thing to be able to sit around and eat the round Lantern Festival and pray for a better life together during the Lantern Festival. For some wanderers in a foreign land and overseas, eating a bowl of Yuanxiao or glutinous rice balls on the Lantern Festival also expresses their yearning for their hometown.
2. solve riddles on the lanterns
Solve riddles on the lanterns, also known as playing riddles, is a popular Lantern Festival activity since ancient times. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, people hang lanterns, so some people write riddles on paper and stick them on colorful lanterns for passers-by to guess. Because riddles can enlighten wisdom and cater to the festive atmosphere, so many people responded, and later solve riddles on the lanterns gradually became an indispensable traditional program of the Lantern Festival.
3. Youlong lamp
In Sichuan, Fujian, Zhejiang and other places in China, Youlong lanterns are also an important way to celebrate the Lantern Festival. In many places, there is a custom that "the fire dragon goes around the countryside and the people make Lantern Festival". Everyone expresses the significance of exorcising evil spirits, eliminating plague and praying for a bumper harvest by dancing dragon lanterns. Large dragon lanterns with bright colors walk through the streets with the sound of gongs and drums, which is very festive and bright.
4. Walking on stilts
The homonym of "stilts" is "look up". Performing and celebrating on stilts on the Lantern Festival means that in the new year, people should be far-sighted and make plans for the whole year in advance. At the same time, when walking on stilts, because you step on a high wooden pole, your body will also rise, so walking on stilts also means rising step by step.
According to the Beijing Planetarium, there will be the smallest full moon this year in the early morning of the 16th day of the first lunar month, which is somewhat special. It is not only the first full moon in the year of Guimao Rabbit, but also the smallest full moon in 2023. Friends who are interested in "looking forward" to the moon can watch and shoot about two hours after the Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival is coming, I wish you all the best to enjoy the lights and the moon, and the full moon will be a reunion. (Text/Ma Heiyang Data Support/Zhang Juan Design/Ren Chengying)