A festival is a celebration. Festivals are popular around the world many reasons. They are fun and can be a good chance for families and friends to spend time together. The Lantern Festival is just like any of them.
The Lantern Festival (also known as Yuanxiao Festival)started about 2000 years ago in China. The festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month of the Chinese New Year. As result, the exact date of the festival is different every year.
Many stories are told about how this festival began. Here is one of (they). In ancient China, there lived a palace maid(女仆)named Yuanxiao. The king kept her (work)day and night and didn't allow her to go back home so she missed her family very much. Yuanxiao had a friend called Dongfang Shuo, an officer was trusted by the king. Yuanxiao asked Shuo for help because she thought he was the only one who could help her. Shuo really wanted to help Yuanxiao and came up with a clever idea. He told the king that the God of Fire was angry with the country and decided (punish) the people on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year. Hearing this, the king was (worry)and he had difficulty eating and sleeping. And then, Yuanxiao told the king that because the god liked to watch fire shows and hear the loud sounds, they would please him by setting off firecrackers and hanging red lanterns. The king had no other (choose), and he agreed. When the day came, Yuanxiao (lead)all the people to set off firecrackers and the lanterns shone brightly like big fires. She also helped make delicious dumplings for the god to eat.
(luck), the plan worked in the end and the king announced that Yuanxiao could go home and see her family and friends. Since then, the Lantern Festival has become a time for families and friends to get together.
