Lantern Festival 2023
The Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese celebration marked by the release of paper or silk lanterns into the sky. The lanterns are made of either paper or oiled silk. The festival takes place on the 15th day of the first lunar month during the full moon, usually in early February or March on the Gregorian calendar. The Uposatha day of the Chinese calendar is also observed during this festival.
This festival marks the conclusion of the Chinese New Year celebrations and will occur on February 5, 2023. The festival, also known as the Floating Lanterns Festival or Shangyuan Festival, has roots dating back more than 2,000 years to the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty, a supporter of Buddhism. Emperor Ming saw that Buddhist monks would light lanterns in temples on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and issued a decree for the entire country to do the same, starting a nationwide tradition.
