Zhao Zhiheng, a member of the Tianjin Astronomical Society, introduced that the Lantern Festival is also called "tangyuan", "tangtuan", or "yuanzi", "tuanzi". In the south, it is also called "shuiyuan" or "fuyuanzi". On the 15th day of the first lunar month, almost every family will eat tangyuan. Tangyuan The custom of eating tangyuan on the Lantern Festival probably originated in the Song Dynasty. According to historical records, during the Tang Dynasty, people ate "mianjian" (wheat noodles) and "yuanduoluojiao" (round dumplings without corners). By the Southern Song Dynasty, there was already "rutan yuanzi" (milk sugar round dumplings), which should be the predecessor of today's tangyuan. In the poem "Boiling Floating Tangyuan on the Lantern Festival" by Zhou Bida of the Song Dynasty, there are lines such as "Stars sparkle among dark clouds, pearls float in murky water." By the Ming Dynasty, the term "tangyuan" became more widely used. The folk customs expert stated that tangyuan was initially mostly called "tangyuan" because after being cooked, it floats on the surface of the water, which is very beautiful and evokes the image of a bright moon hanging in the sky. A bright moon in the sky, and tangyuan in the bowl, symbolizing family reunion and good fortune. Therefore, eating tangyuan expresses people's desire for a happy and united family.
Eating tangyuan on the 15th day of the first lunar month is a common tradition across China. So why do people eat tangyuan on the 15th day of the first lunar month?
