Lantern Festival元宵節
The first full moon of the year, a night of lanterns.
- When
- Fifteenth day of the first lunar month
自十三以至十七均謂之燈節，惟十五日謂之正燈耳。
Yan Jing Sui Shi Ji
What it is
A book on Song dynasty Kaifeng describes a hill of lamps before the palace, with shows stretching for miles.
A Qing book on Beijing says the lantern days ran from the thirteenth to the seventeenth, with painted lamps telling old stories.
Coming dates
Worked out from the lunar calendar in China time.
- 2026Tue 3 March
- 2027Sat 20 February
- 2028Wed 9 February
- 2029Tue 27 February
- 2030Sun 17 February
Sources Jing Chu Sui Shi Ji; Dong Jing Meng Hua Lu; Yan Jing Sui Shi Ji.