History

• Elaborate lanterns signify high social status.chinese lantern image by Luisafer from Fotolia.com
  
  Chinese lanterns first appeared around 250 BC, created as a way to protect the only available light source—the naked flame—from wind and foul weather. People enjoyed the more diffuse light emitting from lanterns, and their popularity became widespread. Soon, lanterns decorated the palaces of emperors and other leaders, each trying to outdo the other by hiring artists to create larger and more elaborate lantern designs. Because of this, the lantern became a way of expressing social status.
  
  

Significance of Colors

• Lantern colors convey different meanings.lanterns image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
  
  Red is the most common lantern color. The Chinese associate red with joy and good fortune. Red also represents energy and vitality. Red lanterns feature liberally in marriage and birth ceremonies, and hang outside the doorway of houses celebrating these occasions.
  
  Blue represents sickness or decreasing energy, so displaying a lantern of that color signals an illness in the household. White represents death and mourning, so white lanterns—especially when accompanied by a white sash across the top of the doorway—indicate that a death has occurred in that household.
  
  

Lanterns as Art Form

• Lanterns are often decorated with Chinese calligraphy.taiwan lanterns image by Mary Lane from Fotolia.com
  
  Lanterns made of paper, silk and other fabrics remain an important form of folk art in China. The surface of the lantern serves as a canvas for the artist, and throughout history, lanterns have borne images of historic figures, divinities and traditional Chinese landscapes. Lanterns may also carry symbolic images, such as the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, or pictorial writing. The various designs on lanterns represent the local, regional, and national traditions—as well as the personal tastes—of the artist.
  
  

Chinese Lantern Festival

• Elaborate designs are featured in Chinese Lantern Festivals.Goldfish Lanterns image by Toronto Canada from Fotolia.com
  
  The Chinese Lantern Festival began in 230 B.C. on the first moon of the lunar New Year, when masses of people gathered with their lanterns in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the spirits of deceased loved ones passing over to heaven.
  
  Today, the festival is also known as the second New Year and has grown to rival other huge celebrations, such as Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Craftsmen create elaborate lanterns for the occasion, sometimes using unusual materials such as glass and sugar. Even in the Chinese countryside, small villages are brightly decorated with homemade lanterns strung across streets and upon homes.
  
  

Use of Lanterns Today

• Lanterns add color to parties around the world.Colorful paper lanterns on wind image by Przemyslaw Borkowski from Fotolia.com
  
  In addition to New Year celebrations, the Chinese lantern still appears today at festivities such as weddings and ceremonies marking the birth of a child. In other parts of the world, paper lanterns add a festive touch to parties or home décor.