Mid-Autumn Festival Special 中秋特别版—小灯笼，大文化

Photo Credit: blog.omy.sg

Time for family gathering and festivities leading to Mid-Autumn Festival! Learn more about this dazzling traditional festival that celebrates togetherness and abundance in our special MAF series!

中秋佳节在即，在节日当中传授文化知识，传承中华传统是最好不过的了！中秋节很多人都会买月饼吃，那除了买月饼吃月饼还有什么更好玩的呢？那当然是如同月亮一样明亮的灯笼了。
 你知道吗？在我们中华传统中，灯笼有许多不同的寓意，不同时候用的灯笼样子也不同！
 
Mid-Autumn Festival is just round the corner! Besides enjoying the yummy mooncakes, why not take this opportunity to let your child learn more about the Chinese culture too? Other than mooncakes, the other most common custom we practise in Singapore, which is also widely popular among young children,  has got to be lantern-carrying!
Lanterns are associated with various Chinese festivals and have special significance on different occasions. Have a read on some of the more common ones!

Photo Credit: sg.asia-city.com

人丁兴旺 ​Blessed with Many Offsprings
​“灯”与“丁”语音相同，寓意着人丁兴旺，所以古时候的人们都把自家的姓氏写在灯笼上或者剪纸贴在上面，然后挂在屋外，为自己人丁兴旺而祈福。
In Mandarin, the word 灯 sounds like丁, which refers to male descendants. Hence, people in the olden days typically write their family names on lanterns and hang them up at their doors, in the hope that their family will be blessed with many offsprings and a long family line.

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国泰民安 ​Peace and Prosperity
​这主要源自元宵节赏灯的习俗。在唐朝时期，人们习惯扎结花灯，借助闪烁不定的灯光象征“彩龙兆祥，民阜国强”。
During the Tang dynasty, it was a custom to hang up lanterns on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year, as the flickering light in the lanterns symbolizes good fortune, peace and prosperity for the country.

Photo Credit: city.sina.com.cn

前途光明 ​A Bright Future
​在古时，学校开课，家长会为子女准备一盏灯笼，由老师点亮，象征学生的前途一片光明，称为“开灯”。
In the past, on the first day of school, parents will prepare a lantern for their children and ask their teacher to light them, symbolizing a bright future for their children.

Photo Credit: epochtimes.com

现在，我们了解灯笼的几个不同寓意啦！下一次，我们会提供大家一些制作简单手工灯笼的创意点子，让家长们可以和小朋友们在家里完成，然后一起迎接中秋！
​Now that we understand the various significance of lanterns in the Chinese traditions, let’s look forward to making our very own lanterns with our kids! Stay tuned for our creative DIY lanterns guide coming up soon! 

Spend a meaningful MAF with your child this year with our Dandelion special issue! 

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