While some festivals are created to celebrate crazy things, in the hope of gaining world-wide attention, some festivals have been celebrated for thousands of years.
The Chinese Lantern Festival has been celebrated (on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar) for more than 2000 years. While the original lanterns were made with paper and candles, today’s technology allows people to light their lanterns with electricity... lanterns now move and can incorporate laser lights and sound affects.
The lanterns can be decorated in any style – the most common being the animal of the current year’s animal symbol... so we could expect to see a lot of dragons this year!
In Taiwan, each major city will have a giant zodiac animal lantern in their main square. Other lanterns will be displayed in the area – with competitions between neighbouring schools and organisations. Parades and art performances take place before the sun sets...laser shows and light ceremonies take place before the evening ends with a fireworks display.
Sometimes, wishes might be written
on a lantern before it is released
to sail into the night sky...
Something for the more adventurous – There is a Mass Rocket-Firecracker Artillery... people stand in the open square, bracing themselves for the launch of countless rocket firecrackers. These people wear helmets, goggles, face masks, raincoats, gloves, long pants and boots...
The safety gear is to protect them from the rocket firecrackers – but they want to be hit... being hit by the rocket firecrackers is believed to bring them good luck.
For their sake – I hope they all get hit!
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