元宵节

　　农历正月十五，是中国民间传统的元宵节。因为正月又叫元月，正月十五的晚上是一年里的第一个月圆之夜，“宵”是“夜晚”的意思，所以，正月十五的这个节日就叫元宵节。

　　元宵节，中国人有赏灯和吃元宵的习俗。俗话说“正月十五闹花灯”，因此，元宵节也叫灯节。

　　元宵节赏灯的习俗是从汉朝开始的，到现在已经有2,000多年的历史。元宵节这天，到处张灯结彩，热闹非常。夜晚一到，人们就成群结队地去观赏花灯。五光十色的宫灯、壁灯、人物灯、花卉灯、走马灯、动物灯、玩具灯……汇成一片灯海。有的花灯上还写有谜语，引得观灯人争先恐后地去竞猜。

　　元宵节吃元宵是中国人的传统习俗。早在1,000多年前的宋朝，就有这种食品了。元宵是一种用糯米粉做成的小圆球，里面包用糖和各种果仁做成的馅，煮熟后，吃起来香甜可口。因为这种食品是在元宵节这天吃，后来人们就把它叫做元宵了。中国人希望诸事圆满，在一年开始的第一个月圆之夜吃元宵，就是希望家人团圆、和睦、幸福、圆圆满满。

　　The Lantern Festival

　　The 15th day of the first lunar month is the traditional Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao in Chinese). The name comes from the fact that the first lunar month is also called Yuanyue and xiao means night. The night of the 15th day of the first lunar month marks the appearance of the first full moon.

　　It's a tradition to admire lanterns at the festival. The custom started from the Han Dynasty, and has a history of more than 2,000 years. On the night, every place is decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers and there is a bustling atmosphere. As night falls, people go in crowds to admire the colorful lanterns: palace lanterns, wall lamps, figure lanterns, flower lanterns, revolving horse lanterns, animal lanterns, and toy lanterns, of all hues and colors, forming a sea of flickering light and color. Some lanterns have riddles on them, which encourage people to compete to find the answer.

　　It is also a traditional custom to eat rice dumplings at this time. As early as the Song Dynasty over 1,000 years ago, there was such kind of food. The rice dumpling is a round ball of glutinous rice flour filled with a stuffing made of sugar and different kernels. After it is boiled, it is very fragrant, sweet and tasty. Since it is eaten on the Lantern Festival, people call it "Yuanxiao". The Chinese people hope that everything is satisfactory ("Yuanman" in Chinese), and to eat rice dumplings on the first night with a full moon in a year is to wish that family members will remain united, harmonious, happy and satisfied.