The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, and its date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year.

The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar. Also known as the Shangyuan Festival, the Minor First Month or the Lantern Festival, it is the first important traditional festival after the Spring Festival and is often regarded as the finale of the entire Spring Festival celebration. Because it is dated according to the lunar calendar, the Gregorian date of the Lantern Festival is not fixed from year to year, mostly falling between February and March. To find out the exact day, simply check that year's calendar.

The best-known custom on this day is eating yuanxiao or tangyuan, which symbolize reunion and happiness. In the north, yuanxiao is mostly rolled, while in the south, tangyuan is mostly wrapped; the methods differ, but the meaning is similar. Activities such as viewing decorative lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, and dragon and lion dances are also popular in various places. After nightfall, the lantern market is bustling, and this is often the climax of the festival.

For farming, the Lantern Festival also has symbolic significance. By this time the New Year holiday is over, and various regions gradually move on to preparing the land for ploughing, getting ready for spring ploughing and spring sowing. In the past, people also had the custom of lighting lamps and praying for blessings, believing that lamps carried the meaning of driving away insects and harm and praying for favourable weather, expressing people's hopes for a good harvest in the year ahead.

It should be noted that the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar does not correspond to a fixed Gregorian date. If you see a Lantern Festival date without a specified year, it is easy to misunderstand. To confirm which month and day the Lantern Festival falls on in a given year, the most reliable approach is to refer to that year's official calendar or a perpetual calendar.