Google Doodle Celebrates Lantern Festival 2025

Doodle marks Google’s 2025 Lantern Festival observance. The Lantern Festival is celebrated in several countries around the world with Google Doodle. In addition to honoring ancestors, the holiday symbolizes forgiveness and peace and coincides with the first full moon of the new lunar year. For good luck, people make red lanterns on this day every year and release them into the night sky.

The Chinese celebrate the Lantern Festival on the first full moon of the lunar new year. To commemorate and honor departed loved ones, families get together. Prayers for luck in the upcoming year are also appropriate during this time.

In several nations across the world, this Doodle commemorates the Lantern Festival. During this holiday, which honors ancestors and symbolizes forgiveness and peace, the first full moon of the new lunar year is celebrated. Every year, on this day, people make red lanterns, which are symbolic of good fortune, and release them into the night sky.

Typically, East Asia—including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Asian diaspora worldwide—observes the Lantern Festival. Its origins can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty, and there are several myths surrounding its celebration. One of these is well-known and tells the story of Yudi, the primordial god who desired to see the world of mortals destroyed after discovering that his beloved crane had been slaughtered.

To prevent Yudi’s wrath, a creature suggested that the villagers light lanterns into the sky to give the impression that the town was on fire.

With events including lion and dragon dances, fireworks, riddle exchanges, and more, festival attendees celebrate the start of a new year. Tangyuan, yuanxiao, and other delectable rice balls with sweet fillings are also shared and enjoyed. Made of ribbons and bright hues, each lantern has a unique design with wishes and resolutions for the new year inscribed on the sky lanterns.

The first full moon of the new lunar year is marked by the Lantern Festival, a major event observed in many nations worldwide. It’s a time to honor ancestors, look for unity, and extend forgiveness.

History of the Lantern Festival

East Asia, which includes nations like China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, as well as the Asian diaspora worldwide, is where the Lantern Festival is most commonly observed. Legends about it go all the way back to the Qin Dynasty, indicating that its origins are ancient. According to a well-known legend, Yudi was a primeval god who sought revenge for the death of his favorite crane. To calm Yudi’s anger, the villagers protected themselves by setting lanterns into the sky to give the impression that the town was on fire.

On the fifteenth day of the first month (Yuan) of the lunar calendar, China and other Asian countries celebrate the Lantern Festival, a celebration honoring departed ancestors. The Lantern Festival seeks to advance forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation.

The holiday commemorates the end of the Chinese New Year (see Lunar New Year) and the first full moon of the upcoming lunar year. Houses are decorated with vibrant lanterns during the festival, many of which have riddles written on them. The person who properly solves the mystery receives a modest gift. Parades, fireworks, and lion and dragon dances are all part of the festival celebrations. During the celebration, yuanxiao, also known as tangyuan, are little balls of glutinous rice that are filled with nuts and fruits. The balls’ circular form represents the family’s togetherness and wholeness.

Read More: Interesting Facts about Lantern Festival, a Traditional Chinese Shangyuan Festival

Buddhist monks would light lanterns in honor of the Buddha on the fifteenth day of the lunar year during the Han dynasty (206 bce to 220 ce), which may be where the Lantern Festival got its start. Later, the ritual was embraced by the populace at large and dispersed across China and other Asian countries.

According to a legend about the festival’s beginnings, the Jade Emperor (You Di) got upset with a town for slaughtering his goose. He intended to use fire to destroy the town, but a fairy stopped him by telling the populace to light lanterns across the town on the designated day of destruction. Because of all the brightness, the emperor thought the town was already on fire. Since the town was spared, the residents have continued to honor the occasion every year by displaying vibrant lanterns around the town as a sign of thanks.

Celebratory Traditions

People engage in a range of activities to welcome the new year during the Lantern Festival. Fireworks displays, riddle exchanges, lion and dragon dances, and other events are all part of the festivities. Eating delectable rice balls loaded with sweet ingredients called “tangyuan” and “yuanxiao” is a highlight of the festival. Every lantern made for the event is different, with vivid hues, elaborate patterns, and New Year’s resolutions and greetings on top.

Good fortune and wealth are symbolized by the red lanterns made during the Lantern Festival. These lanterns are launched into the sky when night falls, shedding light on the shadows and bearing the aspirations of their owners. Lantern releases represent letting go of the past, welcoming fresh starts, and promoting harmony and unity in the community.

The Lantern Festival is a long-standing custom that unites people to commemorate the beginning of a new lunar year. This holiday symbolizes rebirth, forgiveness, and hope for the future through vibrant lanterns, joyous celebrations, and shared customs. The Lantern Festival remains a beloved cultural event that unites people from all over the world and spans generations, promoting a sense of pride and solidarity in one’s culture.