It’s that time of the year when once again the sky is flooded with bright shiny stars. But not the burning celestial bodies, the stars of human hope, celebration and love. It’s the lantern festival marking the peak of Chinese New Year celebrations.

According to Chinese history the lantern festival is celebrated to please the God of heaven and his 7 fire spitting dragons. Taiyi, controlled the destiny of the human world and could inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings as per his will. Hence the first emperor Qinshihuang, who also gave China its name, ordered people to lit paper lanterns with positive messages to be floated in the sky, towards the Gods.

 This splendid annual ceremony is a prayer to Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to the emperor and his people. The festival brings friends and family together as they pray for each other’s wellbeing and release the lanterns in the sky. It’s the most magical site on a magical night. Thousands of lit decorated lanterns color the sky orange as if a scene from a fairy tale. Lanterns come in all shapes and sizes. Some are decorated with traditional quotes some with new age mantras. Some lanterns are painted with sceneries or typical Chinese cultural symbols like dragons and cherry blossoms, etc.

Children’s favorite is the lanterns with riddles that they like to carry up to the temple and solve before lighting it.

On this beautiful occasion team JTTJ wishes all humanity and animal kingdom a prosperous New Year and happy life. Happy Lantern Festival!!