Written by Wendy Tsai
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Adriana DiBenedetto
Traditionally, the Chinese New Year celebration doesn’t conclude until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. And so, volunteers from Tzu Chi Academy in Washington, DC, hosted a Lantern Festival celebration for students on February 15, inviting parents to join in the fun. Together, attendees rolled tangyuan — glutinous rice balls traditionally eaten on this day — crafted red festival lanterns, and then ate their freshly made tangyuan. Students also had the opportunity to learn why tangyuan is considered a staple for the occasion.
School Feels Like Home
“We’re holding the Lantern Festival celebration at Tzu Chi Academy in Washington, DC, today,” Steve Tsang, the volunteer in charge of the event, shared. “Teachers, students, and parents were able to come together to make lanterns, roll tangyuan, and eat them together. It’s great to see that everyone, including the kids and the adults, is enjoying the event. The school feels just like home.”
Kathy Lin, a Tzu Chi Academy parent, hosted the event while students explained the origin of the Lantern Festival, and shared entertaining riddles for everyone to think upon. A short video also helped attendees understand this traditional event’s multi-layered meanings. “Why should overseas Chinese celebrate the Lantern Festival?” was one question posed at the end of the video. The heartfelt answer was that the Lantern Festival is not only a holiday, but a reminder of the beauty in the rich and colorful traditions that exist within Chinese cultural heritage. In celebrating this festival, attendees could enjoy the positive atmosphere, spend time with loved ones, and pass these memories onward to the next generation.
Experiencing the Traditions
After making lanterns and rolling tangyuan together, attendees ate the delicious treats together, just like a family at the Lantern Festival.
“Tangyuan is an important part of the Lantern Festival,” said Ethan Tsai, a Tzu Chi Academy student. “It’s shaped into a ball to symbolize happiness and being with family because the word for ‘ball,’ ‘yuan,’ is also used in ‘tuán yuán,’ which means reunion with family.”
“This is my first time making tangyuan and participating in the Lantern Festival with my child,” said Miaochun Wei, whose son is in preschool. “I really enjoyed sharing this experience, so I’m very grateful to the volunteers for preparing the material and giving us this opportunity to learn and experience these cultural traditions.” Both mother and son expressed that the tangyuan was delicious and thanked Tzu Chi Academy for the celebration.
“Today, a few of us did a short presentation on the Lantern Festival, introducing the origins and traditions,” said a student named Matthew Lin. “It was quite nerve-wracking at first because we had to do it in front of the whole school, but we were also able to learn more about the culture of the Lantern Festival.”
The school organizes hands-on activities for the Lantern Festival with great care. It’s always fun. I’d like to thank the school for preparing the festive red lanterns for everyone and our caring parents for making the tangyuan.
Through the Lantern Festival celebration, Tzu Chi Academy in Washington DC and Tzu Chi USA’s Greater Washington DC Region volunteers helped young students connect with their parents as well as one’s cultural heritage, and sparked greater curiosity in the world around them. We hope that students can go forward, hand in hand, and plant seeds of love and curiosity wherever their path may lead.
