What date is the Lantern Festival? It falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and its Gregorian date changes every year

The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the first full-moon night after the Lunar New Year. Because the lunar and Gregorian calendars reckon years differently, the Gregorian date of the Lantern Festival changes every year, generally falling between early February and early March. To find out the exact date in a given year, simply check that year's calendar or perpetual calendar.

The Lantern Festival, also known as the Shangyuan Festival, Xiaozhengyue or the Lantern Festival, is the first important traditional festival after the Spring Festival. On this day, celebrations such as viewing decorative lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, and dragon and lion dances are common in many places, and many areas also hold temple fairs and large and medium-sized lantern displays. After nightfall the lights are bright everywhere, and people admire the moon and the lanterns, creating a very festive atmosphere.

In terms of food, the representative foods of the Lantern Festival are yuanxiao and tangyuan, both of which symbolize reunion and happiness. In the north, people customarily roll fillings in glutinous rice flour to make yuanxiao, while in the south people mostly wrap fillings in glutinous rice dough and roll them into tangyuan; the methods differ slightly, but the sentiment they express is the same.

Overall, the Lantern Festival is fixed on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the lunar calendar, while its Gregorian date fluctuates from year to year. If you plan activities such as lantern viewing or family reunions, it is best to confirm that year's Gregorian date in advance so you do not miss the festive fun.