Celebrated on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month, the Lantern Festival traditionally marks the end of the Chinese New Year period. In 2022, Chinese New Year Lantern Festival is Tuesday, February 15. Lighting and appreciating lanterns are the main activity of the festival. People gather to see the new year’s first full moon, send up flying lanterns, and enjoy time together with family and friends. The lanterns have riddles on them, so many enjoy guessing the hidden meanings.
Most lantern artwork vividly demonstrates traditional Chinese symbols such as birds, animals, fruits, and flowers to mark the return of Spring. In Chinese culture, the Magnolia flower represents purity, perseverance, and enduring strength, perhaps because the Magnolia tree is one of the first flowering plants to exist on Earth and can live for more than 100 years.
Chiang | O’Brien Architects wishes you a happy new year with anticipation for the coming of Spring and in hopes that you too will persevere and prosper in the new year!