中英雙語話中國民風民俗 第55期:懸掛燈籠的喜慶氣氛
Celebrating with Lanterns
懸掛燈籠的喜慶氣氛The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China. The way of making lanterns differs according to the natural environment. Lanterns are different in the north and the south. In Northern Shaanxi Province,women in the countryside use sorghum stalks to make lantern frames，then they paste red paper on the frames. In this way,they make all sorts of lanterns, such as pumpkin lanterns, persimmon lanterns and sheep lanterns. They also cut potatoes into a bowl shape. Then they put oil into the bowl-shaped potatoes and place lampwick in them and cover the potatoes with red paper lampshades. People hang red lanterns over the gates of their cave dwellings. Willow trees are also decorated with coloured paper. Red lanterns are hung here and there on willow trees. The trees are called lantern trees or spark trees.
元宵節是中國的一個傳統節日。製作燈籠的方式不同由於自然環境的不同。燈籠在北方和南方是不同的。在陝北，農村婦女用高粱稈做燈籠幀，然後在框架上貼上紅紙。通過這種方式，他們製作各種各樣的燈籠，如南瓜燈籠，柿子燈籠，羊燈籠。他們還把土豆切成碗狀。然後把油倒入碗狀的土豆，並把燈芯放在裏面，蓋上紅紙燈罩。人們在他們的窯洞的門口掛紅燈籠。楊柳樹也用彩色紙裝飾着。紅燈籠掛滿柳枝。這些樹被稱爲燈籠樹或火花樹。
