Blizzardboy | A Kiwi in Japan

Korla once again sounds like a war zone. Before dawn our neighbours began to let of fireworks, long strings of crackers and giant cherry bombs. Why? Because today is the Chinese Lantern Festival – known in Chinese as Yuanxiao Jie. Yuan means moon and xiao means night and the Lantern Festival celebrates the first full moon of the Chinese New Year.

As well as the ever present fireworks, the festival is celebrated by hanging lanterns out as an accompaniment to the moon. Young people buy presents for each other and there are parades of dragons and lions and people carrying lanterns under the full moon. Rice cakes, made from glutinous rice flour, much like mochi in Japan and known as yuanxiao are also eaten. These can be either sweet or salty depending on where in China you are. The salty variety sometimes contain meat.

The Lantern Festival also marks the end of the new year celebrations. And hopefully with that an end to fireworks from before dawn till after midnight!