元宵节The Lantern FestivalThe 15th day of the first lunar month is theChinese Lantern Festival, which coincides with the first full-moon night oftheyear (这一天正好是新年的第一个月圆之夜). The major activities of the day include watching paintedlanterns, solving riddles, setting off fireworks, and eating yuanxiao 元宵(sweet dumplings) made of glutinous riceflour （糯米面，糯米粉）.Eating Yuanxiao 吃元宵 Eating yuanxiao 元宵 on the day ofthe Lantern Festival symbolizes family reunion andhappiness. Yuanxiao are made with glutinous rice flour dough, stuffed with avariety of food such as red bean paste, sesame, mixed nutlets with sugar.Minced meat is another favored flavor (元宵用糯米粉包馅制成，馅儿有豆沙、芝麻、各类果仁加白糖，还有肉糜馅等). In southern China, people also eat tangyuan 汤圆(like yuanxiao 元宵). Watching Painted Lanterns 赏花灯 On the night of the Lantern Festival,lines of painted lanterns are hung around the courtyard and along both sides ofthe street. The colorful lights against the full moon create quite a visualfeast for people to enjoy (大家观灯赏月，其乐融融). Solving Lantern Riddles 猜灯谜 Solving riddles written or printed on lanterns is another way of entertainingvisitors on the night.
