TIAN CHI/CHINA DAILY

CHINA DAILY

Sweet dumplings and chocolates make a perfect pairing as the Lantern Festival and Valentine's Day fall on the same day this year.

This year, Lantern Festival, which marks the end of Spring Festival celebrations, falls on the same date as the Western celebration Valentine's Day. But the two festivals may have more in common than first thought. Yuan Quan and Zhou Runjian from China Features report.

Valentine's Day takes on a new meaning for many Chinese this year as it falls on what happens to be the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Heated online discussions are taking place about how to split the celebrations between lovers and families, as the Lantern Festival, which marks the last day of the Lunar New Year celebration, is conventionally regarded as a day to spend time with familily members.

But some people have dug into the festival's origin and found that it was traditionally a romantic day, when young couples in ancient times made secret dates at lantern fairs, giving the overlap of the Chinese and Western festivals a new meaning.

"Many legendary love stories start with an encounter on the Lantern Festival, so it can be viewed as a Chinese version of Valentine's Day," says Wang Laihua, a Chinese traditional culture researcher with the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences.

In ancient China, women grew up at home and rarely had the chance to go outside to meet people. But the Lantern Festival was an exception. On that particular day, young women were allowed to go outdoors at night to see the lantern displays, offering them an opportunity to meet young men.

There have been many ancient Chinese poems depicting romance on the night of the Lantern Festival. These stories have been passed down for generations and are still appreciated by people today.

However, the traditional festival is not all about romance. Lion and dragon dances, acrobatic performances and fireworks are all features of this special day. Children try to solve riddles that decorate the colorful lanterns and are often rewarded with gifts if they get the right answers.

Celebrations vary from place to place, but eating yuanxiao, or sweetened rice dumplings, is common across the country, and the tradition has been passed down through generations.

"I used to worry that traditional Chinese culture would be forgotten when Western festivals, such as Valentine's Day, got popular in China," says Feng Ji－cai, a famous Chinese writer and artist.

"But now, I am happy to see that people still remember and respect the Chinese cultural traditions."

The last time Lantern Festival coincided with Valentine's Day was in 1995, when many Chinese were still too conservative to talk about love openly. People did not understand the meaning behind Valentine's Day at that time and some even translated it into "Lover's Day" or "Mistress' Day".

But over the past two decades, attitudes have changed. "More Western festivals are becoming popular among young Chinese, and Feb 14 is a time of roses and chocolates, candle-lit dinners and Valentine cards," says You Guoqing, a culture scholar and columnist.

Many young people on social media announced that they would marry on Friday, hoping to bask in the good fortune of two festivals. It is estimated that the number of couples getting married on Feb 14 will be much higher in China than in previous years.

However, many people also complain that Valentine's Day is more about money than romance now in China. The prices of flowers soar, restaurants are packed and online sales peak. Big cities often see their downtown traffic stagnate as many people rush to a date on that night.

Owners of florists will make record-breaking sales this year. According to Laojiang, an owner of a florist in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, an ordinary rose will sell for at least 15 yuan ($2.50), up 30 percent from last year. He estimates that the price will be even higher as the festival approaches.

"I don't worry about the business. Orders are coming in continuously," he says.

Businessmen have also worked out new ideas to attract customers. A restaurant in Hangzhou is attempting to boost its business by giving every customer a bowl of yuanxiao and a rose to every female customer on Feb 14.