In China, the fifteenth day of the first month is commonly known as "off-year". In the past, on this day, every household had to decorate lanterns, eat steamed bread and meat dishes, and set off firecrackers at noon. People eat and drink with each other at night.
That night, people made lanterns out of yellow wheat, twisted them with wheat bran, dipped them in cooking oil and scattered them around the house. Some people put lanterns on their heads, limbs or other relatives. It is said that they can eliminate disasters and pray. This is called "scattered lamp" or "sacrificial lamp", and it is also called "fifteen magic lamps".
On the 16th day of the first month, people walk to the temple to burn incense or play, which is called "getting rid of all diseases". On this day, women go back to their parents' home and usually eat jiaozi at noon. At night, lanterns made of sawdust and incense sticks are placed on the side of houses, roadsides and puddles, which is called "lighting" and also called "Sixteen Ghost Lights".
Anping folk, also known as "Lantern Festival" on the 15th day of the first month, also known as "Celebrating the 15th" or "Celebrating the New Year". Eat meat and vegetables at noon and set off firecrackers with red lanterns at night.
Anping folk "lights" are made of Chinese cabbage bumps. Sorghum mats are wrapped in paper, dipped in cooking oil and lit, and then placed outside the house in turn, and then placed on the road. It is said that ghosts and gods will follow the lights on the road. Put a lamp on the child's head, commonly known as "dome light". It is said that children can grow up quickly.
That night, the children were playing in the street scattering dirt, commonly known as scattering dirt to get sick, shouting "Lala disease, Lala disease, you can't get sick for a year." In Anping folk, a new daughter-in-law who has been away from home for less than three years will go back to her husband's house after the 15th, 16th and 17th.
Wuqiang folk, commonly known as the "Lantern Festival" or "off-year" on the fifteenth day of the first month. There are three kinds of folk customs of "lighting" in the old society: one is to light a street lamp, that is, to wrap cotton with reed stalks or hemp stalks, soak it in oil, take it outside the village and light it, and place it on the roadside in turn; One is to sprinkle lanterns, that is, to wrap hemp seeds in cotton paper and soak them in oil, and light them on the evenings of 15 and 16 and scatter them in the house, yard and street. The third is hanging lanterns, that is, hanging colorful paper lanterns, yarn lanterns, glass lanterns and "turning lanterns" at the door or on the street. This is called "Lantern Prescription" in Wuqiang Street, with Chinese opera stories and riddles painted on it, which is dazzling. There is also the old custom of the new wife going back to her mother's house to hide from the lights during the Lantern Festival three years ago.
The custom of "lighting lamps" in Hengshui folk Lantern Festival reflects people's worship of fire and light in the agricultural society and places their ancestors' good wishes for a rich life.