The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival because the first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night Xiao. The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon. So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China.

According to the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) and get all their families united in the joyful atmosphere.

The Lantern Festival falls on March 2 this year.

On this special occasion, we want to share with you a story and a poem.

破鏡重圓的故事

        南北朝時(shí)期，陳國(guó)公主樂(lè)昌美麗且有才華。她與丈夫徐德言感情深厚。但當(dāng)時(shí)，隋朝正入侵陳國(guó)，陳國(guó)即將被滅亡。

        樂(lè)昌公主和徐德言都預(yù)感到他們的國(guó)家將被入侵者占領(lǐng)，他們也會(huì)被迫離開王宮，背井離鄉(xiāng)。戰(zhàn)亂中，他們可能失去聯(lián)系。于是，他們將一枚象征夫妻的銅鏡一劈兩半，夫妻二人各藏半邊。相約在第二年正月十五元宵節(jié)那天，將各自的半片銅鏡拿到集市去賣。期盼能重逢，并將兩面鏡子合而為一。不久他們的預(yù)感就成為了現(xiàn)實(shí)。

        戰(zhàn)亂中，公主與丈夫失散了，并被送到隋朝一位很有權(quán)勢(shì)的大臣楊素家中，成了他的小妾。在第二年的元宵節(jié)上，徐德言帶著他的半邊銅鏡來(lái)到集市上，渴望能遇見(jiàn)他的妻子。碰巧，有一名仆人正在賣半面的銅鏡。徐德言馬上認(rèn)出了這面鏡子。他向那名仆人打聽(tīng)妻子的下落。當(dāng)他得知妻子的痛苦遭遇后，他不禁淚流滿面。他在妻子的那半面銅鏡上題了首詩(shī)：鏡與人俱去，鏡歸人不歸。無(wú)復(fù)嫦娥影，空留明月輝?！∧莻€(gè)仆人把題了詩(shī)的銅鏡帶回來(lái)，交給了樂(lè)昌公主。

        一連幾天，她都終日以淚洗面，因?yàn)樗勒煞蜻€活著而且想念她，但他們卻無(wú)法再相見(jiàn)了。

        楊素終于發(fā)現(xiàn)了這件事。他也被兩人的真情所打動(dòng)，覺(jué)得自己也不可能贏得樂(lè)昌的愛(ài)。于是，他派人找來(lái)了徐德言，讓他們夫妻團(tuán)圓了。

        破鏡重圓這個(gè)成語(yǔ)就是從這個(gè)故事來(lái)的。形容夫妻分開后，又高興的團(tuán)圓。

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), there lived a beautiful, intelligent princess name Lechang in the State Chen. She and her husband Xu Deyan loved each other dearly. But before long their country was in danger of being invaded by the troops of the Sui Dynasty. Princess Lechang and Xu Deyan had a premonition that their county would be occupied by the invaders and they would have to leave the palace and go into exile. During the chaos they might lose touch with each other. They broke a bronze mirror, a symbol of the unity of husband and wife into two parts and each of them kept a half. They agreed that each would take their half of the mirror to the fair during the Lantern Festival, which is on the 15th day of the first Lunar month, in the hope that would meet again. When they were united the two halves would join together. Soon their premonition came true. During the chaos of war, the princess who lost touch with her husband was taken to a powerful minister Yang Su's house and was made his mistress.

At the Lantern Festival the next year, Xu Deyan took his half of the mirror to the fair. He hoped that he could meet his wife. It so happened that a servant was selling the other half of the bronze mirror. Xu Deyan recognized it immediately. He asked the servant about his wife. As he heard about her bitter experience, tears rolled down his cheeks. Xu Deyan wrote a poem on the half of the mirror kept by his wife: "You left me with your broken mirror. Now the mirror is back but not you. I can no longer see your reflection in the mirror. Only the bright moon but not you."

The servant brought back the inscribed half of the mirror to princess Lechang. For days, she could not help sobbing because she knew her husband was still alive and that he missed her but they could not meet forever.

The minister, Yang Su, found this out. He was also moved by their true love and realized it was impossible to get Lechang's love. So he sent for Xu Deyan and allowed the husband and wife to reunite.

From that story comes the idiom "A broken mirror joined together".

（來(lái)自網(wǎng)絡(luò)）

青玉案·元夕

（宋）辛棄疾

東風(fēng)夜放花千樹，更吹落，星如雨。

寶馬雕車香滿路，鳳蕭聲動(dòng)，壺光轉(zhuǎn)，一夜魚龍舞 。

蛾兒雪柳黃金縷，笑語(yǔ)盈盈暗香去。

眾里尋他千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在，燈火闌珊處。

The Lantern Festival Night - to the tune of Green Jade Table

by Xin Qiji, a poet in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)

One night's east wind adorns a thousand trees with flowers

And blows down stars in showers.

Fine steeds and carved cabs spread fragrance en route;

Music vibrates from the flute;

The moon sheds its full light

While fish and dragon lanterns dance all night.

In gold-thread dress, with moth or willow ornaments,

Giggling, she melts into the throng with trails of scents

But in the crowd once and again

I look for her in vain.

When all at once I turn my head,

I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed.

(許淵沖翻譯 Translated by Xu Yuanchong)