In the early days, young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples. The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope. As time has passed, the festival no longer has such implications in most of Mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong.

In Malaysia, some unmarried women write their names and contact details on mandarin oranges. The oranges are then thrown into lakes or rivers in the hope that they are retrieved by a potential suitor.
Eaten during the Lantern Festival, tangyuan '湯圓' (Southern China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia) or yuanxiao '元宵' (Northern China) is a glutinous rice ball typically filled with sweet red bean paste, sesame paste, or peanut butter. Tangyuan is different from yuanxiao due to different manual making and filling processes. However, they are very similar in shape and taste, so most people do not distinguish them for convenience and consider them as the same thing. Chinese people believe that the round shape of the balls and the bowls in which they are served symbolize family togetherness, and that eating tangyuan or yuanxiao may bring the family harmony, happiness and luck in the new year.
• Yuanxiao and its fillings
• Yuanxiao
• Yuanxiao
• Yuanxiao
• Tangyuan
• Tangyuan
• Tangyuan
• Tangyuan
• Tang Yuan
During the Sui dynasty in the sixth century, Emperor Yang invited envoys from other countries to China to see the colourful lighted lanterns and enjoy the gala performances.

By the beginning of the Tang dynasty in the seventh century, the lantern displays would last three days. The emperor also lifted the curfew, allowing the people to enjoy the festive lanterns day and night. It is not difficult to find Chinese poems which describe this happy scene.

In the Song dynasty, the festival was celebrated for five days and the activities began to spread to many of the big cities in China.

Today, displaying lanterns remains a major tradition across China on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar month. Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province, for example, holds a lantern fair each year in Culture Park. During the Lantern Festival, the park is a virtual ocean of lanterns. Many new designs attract large numbers of visitors. The most eye-catching lantern is the Dragon Pole. This is a lantern in the shape of a golden dragon, spiraling up a 38-meter-high pole, spewing fireworks from its mouth. Cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai have adopted electric and neon lanterns, which can often be seen beside their traditional paper or wooden counterparts. Another popular activity at this festival is guessing lantern riddles, a tradition which dates back to the …

Read more on Wikipedia

• Daeboreum, the Korean festival on the same day
• Sagichō Fire Festival, the Japanese (Shintoist) festival held in January
• Bon Festival, the Japanese Buddhist Festival held in August
• Festival of Lights (disambiguation), a list of various festivals associated with light
• 15th of Shevat, the New Year for Trees in Hebrew Calendar

• Lantern Festival