There are many
wonderful stories about how the Lantern Festival first began. One story is
that in ancient times, people would go in search of spirits with burning
sticks. They thought the spirits could be seen during a full moon.
Another is
about a lonely young girl, in Han
times, who tricked an emperor into having a wonderful festival just so
she could visit with her family! The emperor had such a good time, he
decided to make this festival an annual event!
By T'ang
times, many families simply set aside one evening, during the first full
moon after the new year, to honor the moon. They would sit outside, and
gaze up, in awe and delight.
Today, people wear white
in honor of the moon, lanterns are hung in the malls and markets, and
children carry paper lanterns to school, to light their way to a bright
and happy future.
