Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. This is the first full moon of the new year, symbolizing unity and perfection. The day of Horse Year is on February 14 of the Gregorian calendar, so this day is not only the traditional Chinese valentine's day "Lantern Festival” , but also happens to be "Valentine's Day" in the western tradition. The "jolly meeting" situation repeats every 19 years, the last time came in 1995, the next will appear in 2033.

The Lantern Festival is known as Chinese "Valentine's Day", and is the first night of full moon of the year round. The parade in the feudal society, it was the day that created opportunities for unmarried men and women get to know each other. The young girls were not allowed to go out for free activities on ordinary days, and Lantern Festival was the only day that they could come out to play together, the chance to find Mr Right. A lot of literature and drama works have been spread, there are many old stories which tell young men and women in 元宵yuanxiao nights who had romantic love leading to marriage. 欧阳修Ouyang xiu's "The moon rose above the willow tree, At dusk he had a tryst with me.” “月上柳梢头，人约黄昏后”, 辛弃疾Xin qiji's “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！" “众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首，那人却在灯火阑珊处”, such sentences all are the true portrayal of 元宵yuanxiao "Valentine's Day" activities.

I would like to share with you all, two famous poems, enjoy!

生查子（欧阳修）

去年元夜时，

花市灯如昼。

月上柳梢头，

人约黄昏后。



今年元夜时，

月与灯依旧。

不见去年人，

泪湿青衫袖。



Tune：“Mountain Hawthorn”



By Ou-yang Xiu (1007-1072)



Last year on this moonlit spring night,

Lanterns in Flower Fair were bright.

The moon rose above the willow tree,

At dusk he had a tryst with me.



This year on the same moonlit night,

The moon and lanterns are as bright.

Where is my beloved of last year?

My sleeves are wet with tear on tear.

青玉案 (辛弃疾)

东风夜放花千树，更吹落、星如雨。

宝马雕车香满路。

凤箫声动，玉壶光转，一夜鱼龙舞。

蛾儿雪柳黄金缕，笑语盈盈暗香去。

众里寻他千百度。

蓦然回首，那人却在，灯火阑珊处。



The Lantern Festival

--A Lyric Verse by Xin Qiji (1140-1207)



Lanterns look like thousands of flowers aglow;

Later like stars, from the skies, fallen below.

On main streets, horses and carriages ply.

There, ladies shed perfume, as they pass by.

Orchestral music and song greet our ears,

As the moon, slow and steady, eastward veers.

Of the Spring Festival, this night marks the end.

The whole night, capering, carps and dragons spend.

Adorned with ribbons or paper flowers on their head,

Clad in their best raiment, something bright or red,

Women squeeze their way among the festive crowd,

As they talk and laugh; even giggle aloud.

Rouged and powdered; perfumed to their heart's content,

They cannot but leave behind a subtle scent.

＝＝＝＝

Up and down the main streets, I must have run—

A thousand times or more in quest of one,

Who I have concluded, cannot be found;

For, everywhere, no trace of her can be seen,

When, all of a sudden, I turned about,

That's her, where lanterns are few and far between.