The Lantern Festival
导读: 同学们,这个单元我们学习了中国传统节日,除了春节、端午节、中秋节和重阳节外,中国还有许多有意思的传统节日。我们在很多古诗文里会看到"上元节",这是哪个节日呢?读一读下面的介绍,了解一下这个重要节日吧!
The Lantern Festival(Yuanxiao Festival), also known as Shangyuan Festival, is one of China's important traditional festivals.
"Yuan" means to start and "xiao" means night. The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the first full(满的) moon of the Chinese lunar calendar(农历), and that's why it is called Yuanxiao Festival.
The Lantern Festival first began in the Western Han Dynasty(西汉). Before the name of the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was called "looking out in the first lunar month"(正月望), a religious(宗教的) festival at first. It became a festival of fun before the Sui Dynasty. The name of the festival was officially(正式地) started in the Tang Dynasty, and it became a popular carnival(狂欢节) in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, people had ten days to celebrate the festival. Most traditions of the festival came from the Qing Dynasty.
The main traditional activities on the Lantern Festival include(包括) enjoying the bright full moon, watching lanterns, eating yuanxiao and going to temple fairs(庙会). Guessing riddles(谜语) on the lanterns is a traditional and popular activity.

There are other activities such as walking on stilts(高跷) and performing folk(民间的) dance.
The Lantern Festival is the last big event among the Spring Festival celebrations. For Chinese people, the Lantern Festival means the end of the Spring Festival.

答案略