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Cultural & religious observances header image. A photo in the upper left hand corner is a stained glass image of Mary holding Jesus. The photo in the upper right hand corner is a woman wearing a burqua standing near a fence. The image on the bottom left corner is a monk, and the image on the bottom right corner is a mandala sand painting.

Cultural and religious observances – February 14-20, 2022

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Lantern Festival

Lanterns at night at Lantern Festival in Tiawan
Lantern Festival in Taiwan. Photo credit: Wikimedia.org

Culture/religion: Chinese heritage
Date: February 15

Lantern Festival is celebrated in China annually and marks the end of the Chinese New Year. It dates back about 2,000 years and is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. The Lantern Festival is on the first full moon night of the Chinese calendar, marking the return of spring and symbolizing the reunion of family.

Celebrations include lighting lanterns, fireworks, guessing riddles written on lanterns, lion dances and dragon dances.

Greetings:

Happy Lantern Festival! Yuánxiāojiè kuàilè! /ywen-sshyaoww-jyeah kwhy-luh/

Sources:

China’s Lantern Festival 2020: Traditions, Activities, Places to Go, China Highlights