The Festival of Lanterns takes place at the end of the Chinese New Year Celebration, on the fifteenth day of the first moon. Lanterns have been part of Chinese life for centuries so it's not surprising to see a festival of lanterns. People usually hang lanterns in the gardens, outside the houses, and on the boats. These lanterns are signposts to guide guests and spirits of ancestors to the Lunar celebration. After a sumptuous fifteen-day feast, these lanterns light the way for the spirits back to the world beyond. Silk, paper and plastic lanterns vary in shape and size and are usually multi-colored. Some are in the shapes of butterflies, birds, flowers, and boats. Other are shaped like dragon, fruit and animal symbols of that year. The most popular type of lantern is the horse-racing one, in which figures or animals rotate around the vertical axis of the lantern. The special food for the Lantern Festival is Yuen Sin or Tong Yuen. These are round dumplings made with sticky rice flour. They can be filled and served as a sweet snack or made plain and cooked in a soup with vegetables, meat and dried shrimp. The round shape of the dumpling is a symbol of wholeness, completeness and unity. The Lantern Festival is an occasion for families to get together and for everyone--young, old, rich and poor to have fun. 年底举行的中国新年庆祝活动，在正月15月的这一天。灯笼一直是几个世纪以来中国人的节日，所以没什么吃惊。 人们通常灯笼挂在花园外面的房子、船上。这些指示标志灯的客人，是祖先的新年庆祝活动。15点后两天大餐，这些灯照亮了回神后的世界。 丝绸、造纸、塑料灯笼形状和大小各不相同，通常多彩。有蝴蝶形的、鸟、花、船。其他都像龙、水果和动物的象征，一年。欢迎的是一种花灯赛马一、人物、动物，轮流在各地纵轴的花灯。 特别是粮食的元宵圆善或汤圆。这些都是用与糯米粉圆、甜零食熟了汤，蔬菜、肉、虾米来填补。圆圆的形状，是象征团圆的整体性、完整性和团结。 元宵是和家人团聚的机会，使每一个人--、老年人，不论贫富，都好好享受这个节日。
