1. Lantern Birthday
The thirteenth day of the first lunar month features an important folk custom known as the "Lantern Birthday." On this day, households traditionally light lamps beneath their kitchen stoves, a practice called "lighting the stove lamp." This custom stems from the approaching Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day, when families test their handmade lanterns, hence the designation as the "Lantern Birthday." In Nantong's old tradition, lanterns were lit from the thirteenth to the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, following the saying: "Thirteenth,Fourteenth the gods watch the lanterns, Fifteenth and Sixteenth people watch the lanterns, Seventeenth and Eighteenth ghosts watch the lanterns." The custom also included "serving glutinous rice balls when the lanterns go up and noodles when they come down." The City God Temple was constantly filled with lantern-viewing crowds.The thirteenth day of the first lunar month is for testing the lanterns, the fourteenth for raising them, the fifteenth for the main display, and the sixteenth for the grand finale. On the evening of the testing day, six old dragons and numerous rolling dragons first took to the streets. As the lanterns first lit up, the dragon lanterns began weaving through the crowds, twisting and dancing everywhere. Along both sides of the streets, every household hung lanterns, burned incense, and set off firecrackers.Subsequently, rolling dragons, floral baskets, story lanterns, carousel lanterns, fish lanterns, lion lanterns, rabbit lanterns, butterfly lanterns, and golden gourd lanterns all take to the streets. At this point, a continuous stream of colorful dragon lanterns flows through the streets, accompanied by the dazzling glow of various lanterns. The festivities continue until well past midnight before the lanterns are put away. The next day, the lantern celebrations resume, continuing until the final day of the festival on the sixteenth.
3. Making Lanterns
The Lantern Festival celebrations typically begin with lantern-making on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. An old Beijing New Year rhyme goes: "The eleventh day is bustling, the twelfth day builds lantern pavilions, the thirteenth day lights the lanterns, the fourteenth day sees the lanterns at their brightest..." This means the thirteenth day is "Lighting the Lanterns"; the fourteenth day is "Testing the Lanterns";the fifteenth is the "main lantern day"; and the seventeenth is the "lantern closing day." From the thirteenth onward, people begin decorating with lanterns and festive ornaments!
4. Eating Tangyuan
"On the lantern day, eat glutinous rice balls; on the fifteenth, celebrate the Little New Year" is another ancient Chinese custom. On the evening of the thirteenth, families gather to eat tangyuan, symbolizing "unity and completeness."But children's hearts are already racing toward the streets. They wolf down their bowls in a few bites, push them aside, and dash out in groups to see the lanterns.
5. Worshiping Guan Gong
In rural China, there's a custom of worshiping Guan Gong on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. Have you ever seen the offering called "adding plates" used in this ritual?Plump yellow soybeans are arranged in rows resembling eaves, while colorful beans, melon seeds, and peach kernels are strung onto bamboo sticks. These are layered onto structures built from several plates, ultimately forming exquisite pavilions and towers. This is Chang'an District's unique folk craft, "Tian Diezi."6. Making "Sacred Worms"On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, rural communities observe the custom of crafting "sacred worms." On this day, village women gather in small groups to knead dough, cut, carve, and steam—marking the final bustle of the Spring Festival as they prepare for the Lantern Festival. Under these skilled hands, accustomed to wielding hoes and shovels, lifelike and vivid "sacred worms" emerge.
7. Sea Worship Ceremony
The thirteenth day of the first lunar month is traditionally believed to be the birthday of the Dragon King of the Sea. On this day each year, fishermen hold diverse sea worship ceremonies, praying for favorable weather and bountiful fishing throughout the year. Following traditional customs, offerings such as pig heads, carp, and large steamed buns are already arranged on the altar table.Before the altar, people burn incense and paper offerings, bowing toward the sea in reverence. Deafening firecrackers echo across the sky, while dazzling fireworks carry the community's hopes for the new year.
8. Floating Sea Lanterns
Floating sea lanterns on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month is a traditional custom among Chinese fishermen. Folklore holds this day to be the birthday of the Sea Goddess, though some southern regions observe it on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month or the twenty-third day of the third lunar month.Local fishermen and villagers uphold this tradition by setting up offerings on shore, lighting fireworks, and releasing intricately crafted lantern boats inscribed with blessings into the sea, praying for smooth voyages and lasting peace.
Taboos on the Thirteenth Day of the First Lunar Month
According to elders in southern mountainous regions, the thirteenth day of the first lunar month is the year's most significant, severe, toxic, and inauspicious "day of taboos."
On this traditional "thirteenth day of the first lunar month," people avoid visiting relatives, going out, or holding weddings or funerals. They must not dig the ground, move houses... Any joyous occasion like a wedding is never scheduled for the thirteenth day of the lunar calendar, as the multitude of taboos forces people to stay home and "hide."This observance was particularly strict during the 1960s and 1970s. In southern mountainous regions, it was even designated a "nationwide statutory work-free day." Few ventured into the fields or mountains, fearing misfortune, and even fewer traveled far for errands, dreading unexpected calamities.