挂在锦里街上的红灯笼，中国成都 Red lanterns hanging in Jinli Street, Chengdu, China (© Philippe LEJEANVRE/Getty Images)

挂在锦里街上的红灯笼，中国成都 Red lanterns hanging in Jinli Street, Chengdu, China (© Philippe LEJEANVRE/Getty Images)

Lighting the way to a new year

The Lantern Festival marks the final day of Lunar (aka Chinese) New Year celebrations, which began this year on February 12 when we ushered in the Year of the Ox. Traditionally, the day of the festival is filled with dancing, firecrackers, children's games, and food—including tangyuan, a desert made from balls of rice flour and generally loaded with sweet fillings. After sundown, celebrants gather to light or observe lanterns like the ones we see here in Chengdu, China.