Antoinette Loya, William Huynh, Jackson Le,

Jeromy Lui
Origin
- is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month in
the lunar calendar.
-It officially ends the Chinese New Year celebrations
-This custom started from the Han Dynasty and has a
history of more than 2,000 years.
-There are no factual data about who exactly started the
festival. There are only legends and theories.
Customs/Traditions
-One of the foods eaten on is Tang Yuan. Tang
Yuan '' is a glutinous rice ball, first made 800 years
ago, and eaten on the fifteenth day of the lunar New Year.
The people believed the round shape of the balls, and the
bowls in which they are served symbolize family
togetherness, and that eating tangyuan may bring the
family happiness and good luck in the new year.
- lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to
find their way. (Or keep off evil spirits)
- is the Chinese Valentines Day in the ancient
China.
-As the festival grew older, the lanterns became more
larger and elaborate. The first festivals had small paper
lanterns. Current lanterns come with animal shapes, neon
colors, and pyrotechnic metal.
-Also, the festival evolved from one day to fourteen days
over time the past centuries.
Modern Day Evolution
Stories
There were many stories on this particular story but this one was the
most interesting:
There was this one lady named (Yuan XIao). She was a maid for
the emperor during the Han Dynasty and she was crying because she
couldnt see her family and was about to suicide, when a man stopped
her and promised her that she would be able to see her family again.
He set up a fortune-telling booth in town and predicted to everyone that
a fire was going to occur on January 15 (lunar calendar). He also said
that the god of fire would send a fairy, dressed in all red and riding a
black horse, would burn the entire town.
(Yuan Xiao) would pretend to be the fairy and told the emperor.
The emperor didnt know what to do so he ask the man. The man said
cook (Tang Yuan) , set lanterns up, and light fireworks. (Yuan
Xiao)parents came and was reunited with her. The festival was so
successful that he decided to make it a national holiday. Also since
(Yuan Xiao) made the best (Tang Yuan) he named the holiday
after her.
Cultural Significance
-Lanterns are viewed as symbols of enlightenment and
blessing.
-The Chinese believe that by lighting a lantern, they were
sending away the darkness of ignorance.
-Chinese also believe hanging lanterns outside their
households to invite prosperity and fertility into the family.
Recipe
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 flatten dough. 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 snail. 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.
Questions
1. What does represent during the

2. How was the name created?
3. When is ?
answer slide
#1: Roundness of the balls, and the bowls in which they
are served symbolize family togetherness
#2: It was named after the maid for the emperor (the one
that tried to suicide). She made the best dumplings and so
the emperor named this holiday after her. She was also the
pretend fairy god.
#3: It is on January 15th on the Lunar calendar.
Video

Bibliographies
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http://goo.gl/EMr8aK
http://goo.gl/5mF1MY