On the first full moon of the Lunar calendar, today’s Doodle honours the Lantern Festival. Light lanterns and send them floating into the sky as a symbolic act honouring one’s ancestors and symbolising the release of the past while casting a light on the year ahead, according to tradition.
The Lantern Festival has historic roots, as do modern-day celebrations. The holiday’s customs date back almost 2,000 years, to the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and are a monument to the power of China’s oral storytelling traditions. Tiny orbs are the most popular sort of lantern seen today, but many artisans create one-of-a-kind designs in various sizes and shapes, from huge dragons to lanterns small enough for children to hold.
Many people put small pieces of paper with riddles scribbled on them inside their lanterns to provide an extra element of fun. Some riddles are so complex that they’ve gained the moniker “lantern tigers,” because it’s thought that fighting a tiger is simpler than solving them!
Happy Lantern Festival, everyone!