When did the Lantern Festival begin?

The fifteenth day of the first month is called Shangyuan Festival, also called Lantern Festival, which has a long history. The content of Shangyuan Festival is very rich. In the evening, people can "play with lanterns", that is, put on lanterns, watch lanterns, play with lanterns and set off fireworks. Yuanxiao, the festive food of Shangyuan Festival, is sweet and delicious, and is deeply favored by everyone.

The origin of festivals

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the traditional "Shangyuan Festival" in China, also called "Lantern Festival" and "Lantern Festival". As early as more than 2,000 years ago, Emperor Wendi of the Han Dynasty (180- 140 BC) ascended the throne after putting down the "rebellion of the emperors", and the day of putting down the rebellion was the fifteenth day of the first month. So every night after that, Emperor Wendi would go out to play in the palace and "have fun with the people". The first month is January, and "night" is also called "night" in the old saying, so the Chinese Emperor designated the fifteenth day of the first month as "Lantern Festival". However, when

At that time, there was no custom of turning on the lights and watching them. In the 10th year of Han Yongping (AD 67), Cai obtained Buddhism from India. In order to promote Buddhism, Ming Di ordered the Lantern Festival to be lit to show his respect for Buddhism. This is the origin of the Lantern Festival. However, there is still a difference between Shangyuan in the Han Dynasty and the Lantern Festival in later generations, and it did not gradually evolve into today's Lantern Festival until after the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, Taoism was regarded as the state religion. In order to celebrate the birth of Taoism "Shangyuan Blessed the Heavenly King Wei Zi Da Di", Shangyuan Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month became a folk festival with Buddhist and Taoist characteristics. Its activities have also formed fixed forms such as lighting lamps, setting off fireworks and eating Yuanxiao.