The Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Jie is a traditional Chinese festival, which is on the 15th of the first month of the Chinese New Year. The festival marks the end of the celebrations of the Chinese New Year.

Chinese started to celebrate the Lantern Festival from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 221 AD). Like most other Chinese festivals, there is also a story behind the Festival. It is also believed that the festival has Taoist origins.

This is a festival for people having fun. On the night of the festival, people go on streets with a variety of lanterns under the full moon, watching lions or dragon dancing, playing Chinese riddles¹ and games, and lighting² up firecrackers. There is really a lot of fun for the young and the old.

Yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) or Tangyuan is the special food for the Lantern Festival. It is believed that Yuanxiao is named after a palace maid, Yuanxiao, of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty. Yuanxiao is a kind of sweet dumpling, which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing.

Yuanxiao is sticky, sweet and round in shape, symbolizing³ family unity⁴, completeness and happiness.

You can find Yuanxiao in oriental food stores. If you enjoy cooking, here is a recipe of Yuanxiao for you.

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups (500 g) sticky rice flour

butter 7 oz (200 g)

black sesame powder 7 oz (200 g)

sugar 8 oz (250 g)

1 tsp wine

Methods

1. Mix the butter with sesame powder, sugar and wine together. You need to heat a little bit. Make small balls about 0.3-0.4 oz (10 g)each.

2. Take 1/2 cup of sticky rice flour. Add water into the flour and make a flatten⁵ dough⁶. Cook it in boiled water and take out until done. Let it cool down. Then put it in the rest of the sticky rice flour. Add water and knead until the dough is smooth.

3. Make the dough into small pieces about 0.3-0.4 oz (10 g) each. Make it like a ball using hands first and then make a hole in the ball like a snail⁷. Put the sesame ball into it and close it up.

4. Cook them in boiled water. Make sure to keep stirring in one direction while cooking. When they float on the water, continue to boil for about one minute using less heat.

“灯节”或者叫做“元宵节”是中国的传统佳节，在每年的农历正月十五这一天庆祝。元宵节的到来也标志着春节的结束。

元宵节的传统可以追溯到西汉时期，像其他的传统节日一样，关于元宵节也有一个美丽的传说。据说，与道家的传统有关。

按中国民间的传统，在这天上皓月高悬的夜晚，人们要点起彩灯万盏，以示庆贺。出门赏月、燃灯放焰、喜猜灯谜、共吃元宵，合家团聚、同庆佳节，其乐融融。

元宵（黏米团子）或者叫做汤圆是元宵节这一天必吃的食物。相传汉武帝时宫中有一位宫女，名叫“元宵”，长年幽于宫中，思念父母，终日以泪洗面。大臣东方朔决心帮助她，于是对汉武帝谎称，火神奉玉帝之命于正月十五火烧长安，要逃过动难，唯一的办法是让“元宵姑娘” 在正月十五这天做很多火神爱吃的汤圆，并由全体臣民张灯供奉。武帝准凑，“元宵姑娘”终于见到家人。此后，便形成了元宵节。元宵这种食物实际上是甜馅“饺子”的一种，用粘糯米和甜的馅料制成。

元宵口感粘糯，口味香甜，外观浑圆，象征着一家人团圆、美满和幸福。在一般的中国店铺都可以买到。这里就向您介绍一个做元宵的食谱：

原料：

500克黏糯米面

200克黄油

200克黑芝麻粉

250克白糖

一茶匙酒

方法：

1、将黄油、黑芝麻粉、白糖和酒混合，加热一会，搓成10克左右的小团。

2、取约100克黏糯米面，加水和成面团，放在开水中煮熟。晾凉后加入到剩余的糯米面中，揉捏到平滑。

3、将面团分成10克左右的小团，用手搓成球形，再在中间刺出一个蜗形，再把之前做好的芝麻馅填充进去。

4、在开水中煮熟，在煮的过程中要始终顺着一个方向搅拌，汤圆全部浮起在水面后小火再煮一分钟，即可。