By the Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism

The Lantern Festival

By the Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism

In Chinesetradition, thelunar NewYear of theRooster isa time offestivities andcelebration.On the NewYear eve, it is customary forthe family to visit the localflower festival and buyseasonal flowers to welcomethe New Year. On New Year’sday relatives will visit eachother bearing New Yearwishes and gifts. Thesepractices also extend toorganizations. Very often,businesses and corporationswill hold group visits,extending greetings to otherorganizations and theirmembers. The lunar NewYear is a time in whichpeople renew contacts witheach other and re-establishgoodwill within thecommunity. On the fifteenthday of the first month of theyear lanterns are often hungin homes and businesses.The lanterns are said tobring fortune and prosperityto the family for the NewYear. This practice becomeseven more important when,in the previous year, one hasmet with good fortune, suchas the birth of a child. Onthis occasion, lanterns willbe hung in the home andrelatives and friends will befeasted.

The lunar New YearFestival of Lanterns fallson the day that marks thebeginning of the FirstSeason. According toTaoist tradition, the year isdivided into three seasons.The First Season begins onthe fifteenth day of the firstmonth. The Second Seasonbegins on the fifteenth dayof the seventh month. TheThird Season begins on thefifteenth day of the tenthmonth. The first season isruled by the Lord of Heavenand his birth falls on thefifteenth day of the firstmonth. The Second Seasonis ruled by the Lord of Earthand the Third Season isruled by the Lord of theWaters. In Taoist religion, itis said that the Lord ofHeaven grants prosperity,the Lord of Earth forgiveswrong-doing, and the Lordof the Waters protects usfrom suffering and disaster.Therefore, in conjunctionwith the celebration of thenew year people alsocelebrate the birthday of theLord of Heaven and ask himto grant fortune andprosperity. In addition tohanging lanterns, specialceremonies for the Lords ofthe Three Seasons are alsoperformed.

The origin of the LanternFestival can be dated back tothe Han dynasty (1st centuryA.D). It is believed that thefestival evolved from aceremony in which the Hanemperors sacrificed to a godcalled The Ancient One. Inthe Historical Records, Sima Qian describes aceremony in which the Hanemperor gazed at the skyfrom sunset to sunrise. Sincethe ceremony took placethroughout the night, manylanterns were lit toilluminate the sacrificialarea. People began to gatherto see the splendour of thespectacle and gradually theceremonies became an eventfor the populace as well asthe nobility.

There is an interestinglegend surrounding theFestival of the Lanterns inthe Tang dynasty (8thcentury A.D.) The emperorand the empress werelighting the lanterns in thepalace in celebration of theNew Year. By that time theFestival of the Lanterns hadbecome a tradition, and inmany cities there were entirefairs devoted to exhibitingand selling lanterns. In thatparticular year, the lanternsin a town called Guang Linwere unusually beautiful. Inthe midst of festivities theemperor turned to his chiefdiviner, the Taoist master Yi,and said to him, "Do youknow where the mostbeautiful lanterns aredisplayed this year?" TheTaoist master replied, "Sire,it is in the town of Guang Lin that the most beautifullanterns can be found." Theemperor then said, "Canyour magic take us there sowe can have a look at thelanterns?" The Taoist mastersaid, "Surely." With that, abridge appeared in the mainhall of the palace. The Taoistmaster stepped onto thebridge and beckoned theemperor and empress tofollow. The emperor'sbodyguards and the courtmusicians filed behind.When all were standing onthe bridge, the structure leftthe ground and flew into theair. After a short while, thelight of the lanterns inGuang Lin could be seen.The emperor could see rowsand rows of lanterns liningthe streets and crowds ofpeople milling among thestalls in the fair stands. Thebridge descended andhovered above the people.The crowds looked up andexclaimed that the immortalswere visiting the earthlyrealm. They saw figuresfloating on a cloud radiatingmany colors and heardmusic from heaven. The cityofficials were alerted andmany came to prostratethemselves before the"immortals" and "gods". Theemperor was delighted. Thenext day, the emperorreceived a message from themayor of Guang Lindescribing in detail the"visit" of the "immortals"and stating that the entirecity felt blessed by the event.

During the Festival of theLanterns, many people alsogather to have a snack ofsoup and round dumplings.The "roundness" symbolizesharmony, peace, andgoodwill. In the town ofXiamen (Amoy) in particular, lanternsare not only displayed infairs but hung outsidehomes. It is said that theLord of Heaven visits theearthly realm on the day thatmarks the beginning of theFirst Season. The Lord ofHeaven is like a child. Heenjoys playing with children.

Therefore, during thefestival night, many childrencarry brightly-colouredlanterns through the streetsto attract the HeavenlyLord's attention. In this waythe children will receive theblessings of the god.

In Hong Kong, the Festivalof the Lanterns is a majoraffair at the Yuen YuenInstitute. The Yuen YuenInstitute is a centre devotedto the study and practice ofTaoism. During the festival,thousands of lanterns arehung on the grounds. Eachlantern carries a symbolicsignificance, whether it befortune and wealth, or goodhealth. Many people hope toreceive a lantern whosesymbolic significance ismeaningful to them. Thelanterns are given in returnfor a donation to theInstitute. The proceeds go tomaintaining the Old AgeHome and the hospitals andschools run by the YuenYuen Institute. Thedonations frequently run intomillions. In this way, theelderly, the young, and thesick are taken care of. Thefounders of Fung Loy KokTaoist Temple, Mr. MoyLin-shin and Mr. Mui Ming-to,were also founders of YuenYuen Institute. They carried the tradition of theFestival of the Lanterns toCanada, which usually iscelebrated at theInternational Taoist Tai ChiCentre in Orangeville duringspecial events.