The Lantern Festival marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the close of the Chinese New Year.
In a ritual dating back thousands of years to the Han dynasty, traditional lanterns as depicted in today’s Doodle are released into the night sky bearing messages of prosperity, unity, and love. Lanterns are often red, the color of good fortune. Some might even contain riddles, which may win the fortunate ones a small prize — a favorite pastime of little children over generations.
In observance of the festival, families feast on tangyuan (small rice balls filled with sweet red bean paste, fruit and nuts) that are thought to bring happiness and good luck in the new year. The round shape of the tangyuan symbolizes unity and togetherness.
Celebrations around the world include lion and dragon dances, stilt-walking, parades, and fireworks. Modern and traditional worlds combine as electric and neon lanterns float beside their paper or wooden counterparts, creating yet another beautiful memory of a lamp-lit sky for the year ahead.
Early drafts of the Doodle by Cynthia Yuan Cheng.
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02.03.2018-Friday-வெள்ளி-(1-5)-Early Draft of the Doodle-(1-4)-by Cynthia Yuan Cheng-Lantern Festival 2018-JPEG.
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