Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Department compiled and reported
Every year when the Lantern Festival arrives, in addition to eating tangyuan (sweet glutinous rice balls) and enjoying lantern displays, different regions also have unique celebration customs, such as the Pingxi Sky Lanterns, Tainan Yanshui Beehive Rockets, Penghu Begging for Turtles, and Taitung's Fried Hada — all worth visiting. But besides domestic events, the way the Lantern Festival is celebrated by Chinese communities around the world varies. For example, in Japan they eat red bean porridge, while in Vietnam they eat zongzi.
Taiwanese Lantern Festival custom of eating tangyuan (Photo / divinehealthyfood)
Tainan Yanshui Beehive Rockets (Photo / Tainan Tourism)
1. Japan – Red Bean Porridge
Due to the deep influence of Chinese culture, Japan also has the custom of celebrating the Lantern Festival. Unlike Taiwan, where people eat tangyuan, in Japan they eat red bean porridge, also known as azuki porridge. It is sometimes eaten with mochi and symbolizes warding off disasters and misfortune.
2. South Korea – Five Grains Rice, Nuts (especially Walnuts), and Cheongju (Clear Ear Wine)
On the 15th day of the first lunar month in South Korea, people eat five grains rice made from glutinous rice and various cereals, along with a variety of nuts, especially walnuts, which symbolize a wish for healthy teeth. Additionally, they drink cheongju (clear ear wine) before breakfast, which is believed to bring good news. Traditional Korean celebrations also include burning the Moon House, where the Moon House is set on fire at moonrise, accompanied by various activities.
3. Malaysia – Tossing Oranges and Catching Bananas
For the Chinese community in Malaysia, the Lantern Festival is a very important holiday. They have a unique and romantic custom called “tossing oranges and catching bananas.” Single men and women go to the riverside or lakeside in parks, where men toss bananas and women toss oranges, hoping to find a good romantic match.
4. Vietnam – Zongzi
Vietnamese locals celebrate the Lantern Festival by having a family reunion lunch to encourage one another and pray for smooth work, with zongzi being an important dish of the meal. There’s even a saying: “Big zongzi, big reunion.”
Vietnamese locals celebrate the Lantern Festival by having a family reunion lunch to encourage one another and pray for smooth work, with zongzi being an important dish of the meal. There’s even a saying: “Big zongzi, big reunion.”
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