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The Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. It falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the night of the first full moon of the lunar new year. It stands for a new beginning and the arrival of spring, and continues the joyful atmosphere of the Spring Festival. The tradition of lighting lanterns dates back to the Han Dynasty, when people first lit lanterns for sacrificial rituals. As time went by, it became a joyful public activity