THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LANTERN FESTIVAL FROM THE METAPHYSICAL PERSPECTIVE
Caller: Hello, Master. As we celebrate the Lantern Festival (also known as the ‘Yuanxiao Festival’) on the 15th day of the first lunar month, would you please share with us the significance of this special day?
Master Jun Hong Lu: The first day of Lunar New Year marks the first day of spring. As the saying goes, “For every beginning there’s an end”. In this instance, the Lantern Festival which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month denotes the end of the Lunar New Year celebration. So, the beginning and end are both important.
The Chinese name of the Lantern Festival consists of the Chinese character for ‘first’ (元 yuan), which is homophonous with the Chinese character for ‘roundness’ (圆yuan). It carries the meaning of reunion and smoothness or completeness for that matter. In fact, the Lantern Festival is a perfect and harmonious day that allows people to receive more blessings, and immerse in a more uplifting spirit, or to achieve a more perfect state in terms of family relationships and physical health.
In fact, the true stories of the Lantern Festival have long existed. Every household will celebrate the festival with a series of joyous activities to create the atmosphere of a new year. It is likened to our traditional dragon and lion dance, where the dance movement signifies the elimination and shaking off of the old and the ushering in of the new. All the relevant stories can be found in literature. From a metaphysical point of view, it also signifies a perfect wrap-up to the start.
Source: Wenda20130224A 01:10, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program