Chinese Lantern Festival

by Jennifer McGuffin

The glow of the red silk lights, the thrill of daring dancers, the sweet taste of rice dumplings, the magic of Chinese melodies, the joy of children’s game—the beauty of the Chinese Lantern Festival. And what makes it even more beautiful is that you don’t have to travel to China or even trek downtown to Chinatown to experience it. The Lantern Festival will be celebrated in Naperville this month.

The Xilin Community Center, a Naperville-based non-profit foundation dedicated to sharing Asian cultures, is hosting an all-day Chinese Lantern Festival at Naperville North High School, 899 N. Mill Street, on Saturday, March 22nd.

The Lantern Festival, also known as Yuanxiao Jie, began during the Han dynasty more than two thousand years ago to celebrate the end of the Chinese New Year. In fact, the Festival is held each year on the 15th day of the first month in the Chinese calendar. While some cultural events can be somber, recalling military events or late leaders, the Lantern Festival is all about fun! Centuries ago, and in many places still today, Chinese people fill the nighttime streets for the Lantern Festival carrying… you got it… lighted lanterns. Games and activities are played beneath the full moon, the traditional lion and dragon dances stir the pulse, and dancers entertain.

All of those ingredients will be part of the Naperville celebration. The Lantern Festival includes two sessions of free games and activities from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. There will be two performances featuring the action, dancing and drama of Chinese culture from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the performances range from $15 to $30. For safety reasons, all children under two must be directly supervised by an adult. There will also be a free art display and other cultural exhibits during the entire event from 1:00 - 7:30 p.m.

According to Linda Yang, the executive director of the Xilin Community Center, the festival is a perfect way to expose a variety of people to one of the great Chinese traditions. “Everybody likes to play games and be together,” she says. “We love to share our culture and to experience other cultures, as well.”

The Lantern Festival event is one result of a business partnership between the Xilin Community Center and school district 203, which includes Naperville North High School.

“We do have a large population of Asian students in our schools,” says Kitty Ryan, assistant superintendent for school services and programs. “We want to highlight and celebrate their rich heritage and share it with others within the school district and in the larger Naperville community, as well.”

For more information about the Naperville Chinese Lantern Festival contact the Xilin Center at 630.355.4322 or http://www.xilin.org.

Organizers of this event hope the glow of the Lantern Festival will not only brighten a cool March day, but will also shine the light on Chinese culture for those who want to learn more about it, and serve as a beacon for those who feel the fire of Chinese culture all year round.