The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China when people light lanterns, set off fireworks, eat yuanxiao and enjoy family time. But do you know how this festival started?
In the Han Dynasty, there was a man named Dongfang Shuo who worked for the Emperor Wu of Han. One day, Dongfang met a crying maid(哭泣的宫女) named Yuanxiao in the emperor's garden. He asked her what happened. And the maid said she was sad because she couldn't see her family.
Dongfang promised to help Yuanxiao. He left the garden and went to the street. He started telling people that a big fire would happen on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It was the order of the Jade Emperor. Word spread quickly and people in the city were scared.
The Emperor Wu of Han heard of it and asked Dongfang for advice. Dongfang advised him to let Yuanxiao make glutinous rice(糯米) balls for the God of Fire to make him happy. He also advised everyone in the city to put up red lanterns and set off fireworks to create an illusion that the city was on fire. Seeing this, the Jade Emperor would not set fire.
On the special day, the city was full of people and lanterns Yuanxiao's parents were able to meet up with their daughter in the crowd. The city was safe, and the Emperor Wu of Han was happy. He ordered that every year on this day, people should make glutinous rice balls and hang lanterns.
From then on, the 15th day of the first lunar month has been called the Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Jie. Since Yuanxiao cooked the best glutinous rice balls, people call the food yuanxiao or tangyuan.
