氣質姐與可愛可

　　The Vietnamese have Tet, the Thais have Songkran, and the Indians have Diwali. However, nothing beats the celebrations that explode around Taiwan during the Lantern Festival. This holiday occurs on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar1. It is the time of year when the city, temples, and homes are decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Many Taiwanese citizens and foreigners alike take part in the rituals and festivities2 held around the island.

　　The Lantern Festival is about creating positive relationships between people, families, and the spirits. What better way is there to do that than by lighting up the night? As the festival name suggests, countless decorative lanterns are hung in and around temples, homes, and the city. The lanterns usually portray the Chinese zodiac animal3 of that year and are carried by children on the night of the festival. However, lantern designs are not limited to animals. Many lantern lovers take the time to check out the lantern design competitions held every year at the Taipei Lantern Festival. Another custom of the Lantern Festival is the eating of "yuanshiao", which are round glutinous rice4 dumplings5 with either a sweet or salty filling6. "Yuanshiao" stands for family unity and brings completeness to all, which is why the Lantern Festival is better known by Taiwanese people as the Yuanshiao Festival.

　　越南人有泰特節（即越南農曆新年），泰國人有潑水節，而印度人則有排燈節（亦稱光明節）。然而什麼也比不上台灣在元宵節時隨處『爆開』的各項慶祝活動。這個節日時值農曆元月的十五號。每年的這個時節，各個城市、寺廟及住家都會妝點著燈籠及許多五彩繽紛的飾物。許多台灣人和外國朋友都會去參加全島各地所舉辦的儀式和慶典。

　　元宵節的意義就在於個人、家庭、甚至是鬼魂之間能建立起正向的關係。還有什麼方式能比點亮整個夜晚來得更好呢？正如這個節慶的名稱所示，無數個裝飾用的燈籠會被掛在寺廟、住家以及城市裡。這些燈籠的外觀通常會呈現出該年生肖的樣子，而且孩子們會在節慶的當晚將它們提在手上。然而燈籠的設計不僅限於動物而已。許多燈籠的愛好者會花時間參觀每年台北燈節所舉辦的燈籠設計比賽。元宵節的另一項習俗就是吃元宵，也就是一顆顆餡料有甜有鹹的糯米糰子。元宵節象徵著家庭團圓，並且能為所有人帶來圓滿，這也是為何元宵節的這個名稱較為台灣人所知，而非Lantern Festival（燈籠節）。