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元宵节，又称上元节、小正月、元夕或灯节，为每年农历正月十五日，是中国春节年俗中最后一个重要节令。

Lantern Festival, for the annual lunar January 15, is the last important festival custom in the Chinese Spring Festival.

节日摘要The Lantern Festival Abstract

中国古俗中，上元节（天官节）﹑中元节（地官节、盂兰盆节）﹑下元节（水官节）合称三元。元宵节俗的形成有一个较长的过程，据一般的资料与民俗传说，正月十五在西汉已经受到重视，汉武帝正月上辛夜在甘泉宫祭祀“太一”的活动，被后人视作正月十五祭祀天神的先声。

In ancient Chinese customs, the Lantern Festival (Shangyuan festival), the Zhongyuan festival, the Xiayuan festival are collectively called three yuan. The Lantern Festival custom has a long process of formation, according to the general information and folk legends, the fifteenth day of the first month in the Western Han Dynasty has been paid attention to, the Han Emperor on the first day of the night in Ganquan Palace to sacrifice "Taiyi" activities, is regarded as the fifteenth day of the first month sacrifice to the gods.

节日起源 The origin of The Lantern Festival

农历正月十五是元宵节，又称上元节、元夜、灯节。正月是农历的元月，古人称夜为“宵”，所以称正月十五为元宵节。正月十五日是一年中第一个月圆之夜，也是一元复始，大地回春的夜晚，人们对此加以庆祝，也是庆贺新春的延续。

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival(Yuanxiao Jie), also known as the Shangyuan Festival, Lantern Night. The first lunar month is called "Yuan Yue" of the lunar calendar, the ancients called night "Xiao", so we called the fifteenth day- the Lantern Festival -Yuanxiao Jie in Chinese. The 15th day of the first lunar month is the first full moon night of the year. It is also the night which means Spring's coming back. Chinese will hold many activities to celebrate it.

节期节俗 The Customs of The Lantern

元宵节的节期与节俗活动，是随历史的发展而延长、扩展的。就节期长短而言，汉代才一天，到唐代已为三天，宋代则长达五天，明代更是自初八点灯，一直到正月十七的夜里才落灯，是中国历史上最长的灯节，与春节相接，白昼为市，热闹非凡，夜间燃灯，蔚为壮观。

With the development of history and extension, the activities of the Lantern Festival have also expanded. In terms of the length of the festival, the Han dynasty only had one day off. To the Tang dynasty has been three days. The Song dynasty is as long as five days. The Ming dynasty is from the eighth-day lights, until the 17th night of the first month to fall lights, is the longest Lantern Festival during the Chinese history behind the Spring Festival, During the Lantern Festival, the lanterns, stalls, and bazaars would open day and night.