Today is The Lantern Festival (or Yuan Xiao Festival in Chinese). Itz an impt traditional Chinese festival, which is on the 15th of the first lunar month, marking the end of celebrations of the Chinese New Year.
Besides entertainment and beautiful lanterns, another important part of the Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Festival is eating small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour. We call these balls Yuan Xiao or Tang Yuan. In Chinese, “Yuan” has the meaning of reunion, so “eating Tang yuan means reunion”. Obviously, they get the name from the festival itself. Made of sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing and round in shape, it symbolizes family unity, completeness and happiness.
