1、吃汤圆Eating Tangyuan
Eating Tangyuan is an important tradition for the Lantern Festival. Tangyuan, also know as yuanxiao, is a Chinese food made from glutinous rice flour mixed with a small amount of water to form balls and is then cooked and served in boiling water.
吃汤圆是元宵节的一项重要习俗。汤圆，又名“元宵”，是由糯米粉等做的球形食品，一般有馅料，煮熟带汤吃。
Traditionally, the balls come stuffed with sweet black sesame paste, although the fillings can vary. Tangyuan are eaten during Lantern Festival because of a homophone for union.
通常用黑芝麻做馅，但又不仅限于黑芝麻。据说元宵象征合家团圆美好，吃元宵意味着新的一年合家幸福、团团圆圆，所以正月十五元宵必备。
2、赏花灯Lighting lanterns
A painting of the Lantern Festival by Zou Li. [Photo/artron.net]
Decorating and hanging lanterns is the main tradition of the festival, with lanterns big and small hung around households, parks, streets and other public spaces. Red lanterns of various shape and type will attract countless visitors to watch.
正月十五赏花灯是元宵节必有的另一项习俗。人们把大大小小的花灯悬挂于家门口、公园、街道或者其他公共场所。各式各样的红灯笼将会吸引无数的游客前来观赏。
3、猜灯谜Lantern riddles
Solving riddles on lanterns has been a popular tradition since the Song Dynasty. People write riddles on paper and stick them to the lanterns and if someone guesses correctly, they can pull the riddle off. The notes often contain messages of good fortune and wishes.
从宋代开始，猜灯谜就是一项非常受欢迎的民俗活动。人们把谜语写到纸上并悬之于灯，供人猜射。通常，谜底都是各种吉祥话和祝福。
