Lunar New Year is an important time of year for Taiwanese people. The entire celebration lasts 15 days, and its a time for enjoying the company of family. The last 'hoorah' for Lunar New Year celebration is the Lantern Festival! It's a lively festival full of food, performances and, of course, lanterns. During Lantern Festival this year I learned how Penghu has their own unique traditions! You can see some videos I took in my album post: https://reachtheworld.org/madisons-journey-taiwan/gallery/videos-lantern...
Lantern Festival in Penghu is a bit different from the rest of Taiwan. Throughout all of Taiwan, people write wishes on lanterns and release them to the sky. People also write riddles for others to solve on the lanterns! This festival marks the end of Lunar New Year Festivities.
In Penghu, however, there are some different traditions within Lantern Festival. In Penghu, the lanterns are not released into the sky, but they are lit throughout the temples! There is also a special kind of fortune telling that involves throwing a pair of crescent shaped blocks. If the blocks land with one side up and one side down, it means 'yes' to whatever question you asked.
