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1:13

Lantern Festival

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Yuanxiao, also known as Lantern Festival, or the Festival of Lights, takes place on the first full moon of the lunar year and is all about lights, lanterns, riddles, and dumplings. In this clear and easy-to-follow educational video, learn all about this traditional Chinese holiday and how to celebrate it right.
WordDefinitionFluency
 
元宵节
yuán xiāo jié
(noun) the Lantern Festival (the 15th of the 1st lunar month)
 (noun) the Lantern Festival (the 15th of the 1st lunar month)
 
元宵
yuán xiāo
(noun) glutinous rice balls; sweet sticky dumplings made of glutinous rice flour
 (noun) glutinous rice balls; sweet sticky dumplings made of glutinous rice flour
 
花灯
huā dēng
(noun) colored lantern
 (noun) colored lantern
 
灯节
dēng jié
(noun) Lantern Festival
 (noun) Lantern Festival
 
成群结队
chéng qún jié duì
(idiom) to form a large group; in a big group
 (idiom) to form a large group; in a big group
 
谜语
mí yǔ
(noun) riddle
 (noun) riddle
 
争先恐后
zhēng xiān kǒng hòu
(expression) to strive to be first and fear to be last; outdoing one another
 (expression) to strive to be first and fear to be last; outdoing one another
 
可口
kě kǒu
(adj.) tasty; delicious; yummy
 (adj.) tasty; delicious; yummy
 
圆满
yuán mǎn
(adj.) (Literary) satisfactory; perfect
 (adj.) (Literary) satisfactory; perfect
 
团圆
tuán yuán
(verb) to reunite
 (verb) to reunite
 
元 宵 节
yuán xiāo jié
The Lantern Festival
 
农 历
nóng lì
正 月
zhēng yuè
十 五
shí wǔ
The 15th day of the first month on the lunar calendar
 
是
shì
中 国
zhōng guó
民 间
mín jiān
传 统
chuán tǒng
的
de
元 宵 节
yuán xiāo jié
。
。
is the traditional date for the Lantern Festival for Chinese people.
 
中 国 人
zhōng guó rén
有
yǒu
赏
shǎng
灯
dēng
和
hé
吃
chī
元 宵
yuán xiāo
的
de
习 俗
xí sú
。
。
Chinese people have the custom of admiring lanterns and eating sweet dumplings.
 
俗 话
sú huà
说
shuō
“
“
正 月
zhēng yuè
十 五
shí wǔ
闹
nào
花 灯
huā dēng
”
”
As the saying goes "On the 15th day of the first month, put up festive lanterns"
 
因 此
yīn cǐ
，
，
元 宵 节
yuán xiāo jié
也
yě
叫
jiào
灯 节
dēng jié
。
。
Therefore, Lantern Festival is also called the Light Festival.
 
元 宵 节
yuán xiāo jié
赏
shǎng
灯
dēng
的
de
习 俗
xí sú
是
shì
从
cóng
汉 朝
hàn cháo
开 始
kāi shǐ
的
de
The custom of admiring lanterns during Lantern Festival started during the Han Dynasty,
 
到
dào
现 在
xiàn zài
已 经
yǐ jīng
有
yǒu
两
liǎng
千
qiān
多
duō
年
nián
的
de
历 史
lì shǐ
。
。
so it already has more than two thousand years of history.
 
元 宵 节
yuán xiāo jié
这
zhè
天
tiān
On the day of the Lantern Festival
 
到 处
dào chù
张 灯 结 彩
zhāng dēng jié cǎi
，
，
热 闹
rè nào
非 常
fēi cháng
decorations of festive lanterns and banners all all over, and things are extremely lively.
 
人 们
rén men
成 群 结 队
chéng qún jié duì
地
de
去
qù
观 赏
guān shǎng
花 灯
huā dēng
People form groups to go admiring the lanterns.
 
有 的
yǒu de
花 灯
huā dēng
上
shàng
还
hái
写
xiě
有
yǒu
谜 语
mí yǔ
Some lanterns even have riddles written on them,
 
引 得
yǐn dé
观
guān
灯
dēng
人
rén
争 先 恐 后
zhēng xiān kǒng hòu
地
de
去
qù
竞 猜
jìng cāi
。
。
prompting those admiring the lanterns to vy to be first to guess their meanings.
 
元 宵 节
yuán xiāo jié
还
hái
要
yào
吃
chī
元 宵
yuán xiāo
。
。
During Lantern Festival, one eats sweet dumplings.
 
元 宵
yuán xiāo
是
shì
一
yī
种
zhǒng
用
yòng
糯 米
nuò mǐ
粉
fěn
做 成
zuò chéng
的
de
小
xiǎo
圆 球
yuán qiú
Sweet dumplings are a round ball made of glutinous rice flour
 
里 面
lǐ miàn
包 着
bāo zhe
用
yòng
糖
táng
和
hé
各 种
gè zhǒng
果 仁
guǒ rén
做 成
zuò chéng
的
de
馅 儿
xiànr
。
。
Inside is sugar and a variety of nuts.
 
煮 熟
zhǔ shú
后
hòu
,
,
吃 起 来
chī qǐ lái
香 甜
xiāng tián
可 口
kě kǒu
。
。
After boiling, it tastes sweet and delicious.
 
中 国 人
zhōng guó rén
希 望
xī wàng
诸 事
zhū shì
圆 满
yuán mǎn
Chinese people hope that everything is well-rounded.
 
在
zài
一
yī
年
nián
开 始
kāi shǐ
的
de
第 一
dì yī
个
gè
月 圆
yuè yuán
之
zhī
夜
yè
吃
chī
元 宵
yuán xiāo
So on the night of the year's first full moon, they eat sticky rice dumplings,
 
就
jiù
是
shì
希 望
xī wàng
家 人
jiā rén
团 圆
tuán yuán
，
，
圆 圆 满 满
yuán yuán mǎn mǎn
。
。
which is to hope that family members can be reunited, and that all will be perfect. (Pun—Notice that it is a round/yuán moon and unity is tuán yuán, so yuán yuán mǎn mǎn)

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