TheLanternFestival元宵节英语学习课程

1、General Introduction Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, usually in February or March in the Gregorian calendar. As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), it had become a festival with great significance.第1页/共22页第一页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。The 15th day

2、 of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival because the first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night Xiao. The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon. So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China. According to the Chinese tradition,

3、 at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) and get all their fam

4、ilies united in the joyful atmosphere. 第2页/共22页第二页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。 Origin Buddhism first entered China during the reign of Emperor Mingdi of the Eastern Han Dynasty. That was in the first century. However, it did not exert any great influence among the Chinese people. one day, Emperor Mingdi had a dr

5、eam about a gold man in his palace. At the very moment when he was about to ask the mysterious figure who he was, the gold man suddenly rose to the sky and disappeared in the west. The next day, Emperor Mingdi sent a scholar to India on a pilgrimage（朝圣）to locate Buddhist scriptures. After journeying

6、 thousands of miles, the scholar finally returned with the scriptures. 第3页/共22页第三页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。 Origin Emperor Mingdi ordered that a temple be built to house a statue of Buddha and serve as a repository for the scriptures. Followers believe that the power of Buddha can dispel darkness. So Emperor

7、Mingdi ordered his subjects to display lighted lanterns during what was to become the Lantern Festival. 第4页/共22页第四页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。 customsl Yuanxiao/rice dumplings/tangyuanl Watching lanterns and guessing lantern riddlesl Performances in the streetl Fireworksl Chinas Valentines Day 第5页/共22页第五页，编辑于星期

8、日：点 二十七分。第6页/共22页第六页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。Yuan Xiao People will eat yuanxiao, or rice dumplings on this day, so it is also called the Yuanxiao Festival.Yuanxiao also has another name, tangyuan. It is small dumpling balls made of glutinousrice flour with rose petals, sesame, bean paste, jujube paste, walnut

9、 meat, dried fruit, sugar and edible oil as filling. Tangyuan can be boiled, fried or steamed. It tastes sweet and delicious. 第7页/共22页第七页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。Whats more, tangyuan in Chinese has a similar pronunciation with tuanyuan”, meaning reunion. So people eat them to denote union, harmony and happine

10、ss for the family.Tang Yuan第8页/共22页第八页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。第9页/共22页第九页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。第10页/共22页第十页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。 This days important activity is watching lanterns. Lanterns of various shapes and sizes are hung in the streets, attracting countless visitors. Children will hold self-made or bought lanterns t

11、o stroll with on the streets, extremely excited. Watching lanterns第11页/共22页第十一页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。第12页/共22页第十二页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。Guessing lantern riddles Guessing lantern riddlesis an essential part of the Festival. Lantern owners write riddleson a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors

12、have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer. If they are right, they will get a little gift. The activity emerged during peoples enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdo

13、m, it has become popular among all social strata. 第13页/共22页第十三页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。 In the daytime of the Festival, performances such as a dragon lantern dance, a lion dance, a land boat dance, a yangge dance, walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged. 第14页/共22页第十四页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。第

14、15页/共22页第十五页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。 On the night, except for magnificent lanterns, fireworks form a beautiful scene. Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival. Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party. On the night when the first

15、full moon enters the New Year, people become really intoxicated by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.第16页/共22页第十六页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。第17页/共22页第十七页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。Chinas valentines day During the Lantern Festival, Valentines young men and women meet with the timing, the Lantern Festival and become Chinas Valentines Day. 第18页/共22页第十八页，编辑于星期日：点 二十七分。Hundreds and thousands of times, for her I searched in chaos, suddenly, I turned by chance, to where the lights were waning, and there she stood！ Guess第