用英文介绍“元宵节”的习俗与活动
Falling on the 15th day of the first lunar month, Lantern Festival is the first significant feast after Chinese New Year, so called because the most important activity during the night of the event is watching various wonderful Chinese lanterns.
元宵节是农历正月十五，是春节后的第一个重要节日。(英语)之所以这么叫，是因为那天晚上最重要的活动是观看各种美丽的灯笼。
The first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night ‘Xiao’. The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon. So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China.
元宵节 英语因为正月叫元月，古代称夜为“宵”，正月十五是一年中第一个月圆之夜，所以这一天在中国也被称为元宵节。
For its rich and colorful activities, it is regarded as the most recreational among all the Chinese festivals and a day for appreciating the bright full moon, and family reunion.
元宵节是一个丰富多彩的活动，它被认为是中国所有节日中最具娱乐性的，也是一个赏月团聚的日子。
Customs and Activities
习俗与活动
With a history of over 2,000 years, various traditional customs and activities are held during Lantern Festival that appeal to people of different ages, including watching lanterns and fireworks, guessing lantern riddles, performing folk dances, and eating yuanxiao.
元宵节有2000多年的历史，各种传统习俗和活动吸引着不同年龄的人，包括看灯笼和烟花，猜灯谜，表演民间舞蹈和吃元宵。
01
Watching Lanterns 赏花灯
During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), Buddhism flourished in China. So in order to p
opularize Buddhism, one of the emperors gave an order to light lanterns in the imperial palace to worship and show respect for Buddha on the 15th day of the first lunar month. During the Tang (618 - 907), Song (960 - 1279), Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties, lighting lanterns became a tradition for Chinese people.
汉代（公元前206年—公元220年），佛教在中国盛行。于是，为了推广佛教，一位皇帝下令在正月十五这一天在皇宫里燃灯，供奉佛祖。在唐(618 - 907)、宋(960 - 1279)、明(1368 - 1644)和清(1644 - 1911)朝代，燃灯成为中国人的传统。
Today, when the festival es, red lanterns can be seen in the street, in each house, and store. In the parks, lanterns of various shapes and types attract countless visitors. Visitors marvel that various lanterns so vividly demonstrate traditional Chinese folklore.
现在，当元宵节的时候，红灯笼会被挂在街上，家里和商店里。公园里，各种形状和类型的灯笼吸引了无数游客。令人惊叹的是，各种各样的灯笼将中国的传统民俗展示得如此生动。
02
Guessing Lantern Riddles猜灯谜
Beginning from the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), guessing riddles is regarded as an indispensable part of the Lantern Festival. People write all kinds of riddles on pieces of paper, and paste them on colorful lanterns to let visitors guess. If one has an answer to a riddle, he can pull the paper to let organizers verify the answer. Gifts are presented to the people who get the right answers.
从宋朝(960 - 1279)开始，猜灯谜就被视为元宵节不可或缺的一部分。人们把各种各样的谜语写在纸条上，贴在五颜六的灯笼上，让游客猜。如果一个人有谜语的答案，他可以扯下纸条让组织者验证答案，猜对的人会得到礼物。
Because this intellectual activity is exciting, people from all walks of life enjoy it.
因为这个智力活动很刺激，各行各业的人都很喜欢。
03
Lion Dance 舞狮子
Derived from the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), the lion dance is an excellent traditional art that adds infinite fun to any celebration including the Lantern Festival. Two performing types have formed during its long development. In north China, the lion dance focuses on skills, and in the south the lion dance pays more attention to the animal resemblance.
舞狮起源于三国时期(220-280)，是一种优秀的传统艺术，为包括元宵节在内的任何庆祝活动增添了无限的乐趣，在其漫长的发展过程中形成了两种表演类型。在中国北方，狮舞注重技巧，而在南方，狮舞更注重动物的形似。
One actor manipulates a small lion made of quilts resembling a real one, and with two persons acting like a big lion, one manages the head part and the other, the rest. Under the guidance of a director, the lions sometimes jump, leap, and do difficult acts such as walking on stilts.
一个演员控制着一只棉布做的小狮子，就像真的狮子一样。另外两个人演一个大狮子，一个负责头，一个负责剩下的。在指挥的指挥下，这些狮子有时会做出腾跃、跳跃等高难度动作，
比如蹬高。
Because the acting is always amusing, spectators enjoy it very much. According to ancient custom, the lion is a symbol of boldness and strength that can protect people, so by performing the lion dance, everyone prays for an auspicious and happy life.
因为表演总是很有趣，观众很喜欢。根据古老的习俗，狮子是勇气和力量的象征，可以保护人们。因此，通过舞狮，每个人都祈求吉祥幸福的生活。
04
Walking on Stilts 踩高跷
Walking on stilts, another folk art, traces its origins to the Spring and Autumn period (770BC - 476BC). Performers not only walk on stilts by binding them to their feet, but also do some breathtakingly difficult moves. As actors impersonate different characters like monks, clowns, and fishermen and perform vivid and humorous acts, the art amuses many people.
踩高跷是另一种民间艺术，它的起源可以追溯到春秋时期(公元前770 - 476)。表演者们不仅要把高跷绑在脚上走，还会做一些极其高难度的动作。由于演员扮演不同的角，如僧侣、小丑和渔民，并表演生动和幽默的行为，这种艺术使许多人感到有趣。