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Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province, for example, holds a lantern fair each year in Culture Park. During the Lantern Festival, the park is a virtual ocean of lanterns. Many new designs attract large numbers of visitors. The most eye-catching lantern is the Dragon Pole. This is a lantern in the shape of a golden dragon, spiraling up a Chinese Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao Jie) falls on February 12, 2025. It is a festive day and the end of the Chinese New Year (the Spring Festival). Click to see the origin, traditions, food, etc. Lantern Festival, holiday celebrated in China and other Asian countries that honors deceased ancestors on the 15th day of the first month (Yuan) of the lunar calendar. The holiday marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the end of the Chinese New Year. The Spring Festival is a time reserved for families. There is the reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, visits (拜年 / bài nián) to in-laws on the second day and neighbors after that. Stores reopen on the fifth day and society basically goes back to normal. In 2008, the Lantern Festival was listed as an intangible cultural heritage element. Today, the Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, which generally falls sometime in February or early March. Like many traditional Chinese holidays, the Lantern Festival has a long history. Lantern Festival celebrations began around 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE). The Taking place on the 15th day of the first lunar month (February 5 this year), the Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xiao Jie in Mandarin Chinese, marks the end of the weeks-long Lunar New Year Over time, the festival evolved to become a celebration of the new year and the end of the winter season. During the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD), the Lantern Festival became an important cultural event that was celebrated by people from all walks of life as a time to pay respect to their ancestors and to pray for good fortune in the new year. The Basics. The Lantern Festival celebration dates back some 2,000 years to lanterns hung in Buddhist temples by monks during the Han Dynasty. By imperial decree, temples, homes and palaces across China adopted the practice of hanging brightly-lit lanterns on the 15th night of the year’s 1st lunar month. The Chinese Lantern Festival, also known as Yuan Xiao Jie or Shang Yuan Festival, falls on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year. In 2025, it will be celebrated on the 12th of February. The Lantern Festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year Festival. All the celebrations stop from this day, and the new year taboos are no longer in effect. The lantern festival is one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture. Also known as 元宵節; Yuánxiāo jié (translated into the Yuan Xiao Festival), this festival is celebrated on the 15th day on the first month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, or in short, 15 days after the Chinese New year. As we know, Chinese traditional festivals are based on the Lunar Calendar instead of our Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year celebration usually lasts 15 days, from New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the Chinese New Year—the Lantern Festival.In 2025, the celebration starts on Jan. 28th and ends on Feb. 12th. When does Chinese New Year end? Chinese New Year in 2025 lasts until the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12. Festival of Lanterns. The last day of the New Year is known as the Festival of Lanterns and Pre-Chinese New Year Preparations and Activities (Jan. 7–Feb. 12, 2025) Jan. 7, 2025: Laba Festival. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for Chinese New Year as early as day 8 of the 12 th month of the lunar calendar. The Year of the Snake.Here's your guide to the Lunar New Year. When does Chinese New Year start and end? Chinese New Year in 2025 starts on Wednesday, Jan. 29, and lasts until the Lantern Festival Traditional Holiday. Lunar Calendar Date. Gregorian Calendar Date (2025) Chinese New Year. 1 st Day of the 1 st Month. January 29, 2025. Lantern Festival. 15 th Day of the 1 st Month. February 12, 2025 In many Chinese cities, the local temple serves as a spiritual center. The third day of the new year, January 31, 2025, is traditionally a day for visiting temples. People visit to make offerings, seek blessings from deities, and consult fortune-tellers about the year ahead. This is also a time to pause and reflect spiritually as the new year The legal holiday is seven days long, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month. Some companies and public institutions enjoy a longer holiday up to 10 days or more, because in common knowledge among Chinese people, the festival lasts longer, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival). How is Chinese New Year celebrated? Spring Festival is a time for families to come together, exchange money-filled red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo), and enjoy delicious Chinese food. The Chinese New Year is a 15-day holiday and includes a variety of festivities depending on the region and its local traditions and customs. The Lantern Festival, occurring on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, marks the grand finale of Chinese New Year celebrations. Lantern Displays and Parades Cities and towns across China and in Chinese communities worldwide organize large-scale lantern displays and parades .
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