节日英语：元宵佳节的各种习俗

吃元宵
Eating Yuanxiao
元宵是元宵节的特色食品。据说，元宵是因汉武帝时期的一位名叫元宵的宫女而得名。
Yuanxiao is the special food for the Lantern Festival. It is believed that Yuanxiao is named after a palace maid, Yuanxiao, of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty.
元宵是一种带馅儿的甜食，是由糯米粉加上甜的馅料制成。
Yuanxiao is a kind of sweet dumpling, which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing.
元宵节就是因此食品得名。
And the Festival is named after the famous dumpling.
元宵的烹制方法非常简单，将元宵倒入装满沸水的锅中煮几分钟就可以了。
It is very easy to cook - simply dump them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes - and eaten as a desert.
猜灯谜
Guessing lantern riddles
猜灯谜也是元宵节活动的一个基本组成部分。
"Guessing lantern riddles"is an essential part of the Festival.
灯笼的所有者将谜语写在一张纸条上，然后将纸条展示在灯笼上。
Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns.
如果赏灯者猜出谜语，就将纸条取出，然后找灯笼所有者确认答案。
If visitors have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer.
打对的话，他们就可以领取一份小礼品。
If they are right, they will get a little gift.
这个活动起源于宋朝（960——1279）。
The activity emerged during people's enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
猜灯谜活动极富情趣和智慧，因此在全社会广受欢迎。
As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become popular among all social strata.
看烟火
Watch fireworks
元宵节的白天会有舞龙舞狮、划旱船、扭秧歌、踩高跷。
In the daytime of the Festival, performances such as a dragon lantern dance, a lion dance, a land boat dance, a yangge dance, walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged.
而在晚上，除了各种大型灯会，灿烂的焰火也是一幅美丽的画卷。
On the night, except for magnificent lanterns, fireworks form a beautiful scene.
很多家庭在春节时会留下一部分烟花等着元宵节放。
Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival.
有的地方政府甚至会组织焰火晚会。
Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party.
当新年的第一轮圆月升上夜空时，人们都会因燃放的烟火和空中的明月而兴奋。
On the night when the first full moon enters the New Year, people become really intoxicated by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.