Lantern Festival: A Bowl of Sweet Roundness, A Heart Full of Reunion

Today is the 15th day of the first lunar month, China’s traditional Lantern Festival. According to Chinese custom, we must eat yuanxiao—sweet glutinous rice balls—to celebrate.
More than just food, yuanxiao carries the best wishes of the Chinese people. Its round shape symbolizes reunion, harmony and perfection. Made of glutinous rice flour with sweet fillings like black sesame, red bean paste or five nuts, it is soft, sticky and fragrant.

In northern China, people “roll” yuanxiao by dusting the filling with rice flour again and again. In the south, similar glutinous rice balls called “tangyuan” are usually wrapped by hand. Though the methods differ, they share the same warm meaning: family togetherness and good fortune.

On Lantern Festival, streets are decorated with colorful lanterns, and the air is filled with joy. A bowl of hot, sweet yuanxiao warms both the body and the heart. It tells us that the simplest happiness is a family gathered around, safe and sound.
May the round lanterns and sweet yuanxiao bring you peace, health and all the good things you hope for.