The final custom of the Spring Festival – Lanterns on the tomb正月十五送灯

In different places, there are really different customs . In my hometown, usually there is a latern exhibition on this day. People have the guessing games, northeast yangko dance has been played till the end of the lunar month . This morning we have to eat the boiled sweet dumplings, usuall y my father was good at cooking this kind of sweet dumplings . but now few people can do it by themselves , they usually buy it from the market .

After I went to Dalian, the custom here is a bit different from my hometown . on this day , my mother-in-law sends the lanterns to the late ancestors. It is said that the custom of sending lanterns comes from most parts of Shandong and some parts of the northeast. This activity let the ancesstors feel the greetings and warmth of their relatives.

There are all kinds of colourful laterns , they are made small but delicate, very beautiful , the price is not high . You can buy two to place them on the tomb to give lights to the ancestors. The lights must be delivered before the sun sets. So this day, there are many people in the memorial park.

It is said that the customes came from the emporer Ming dynasty Mr Zhu Yuanzhang . He went to his mother's grave on the Lantern Festival, but did not find it. So he lit a light in front of each of the grave, and then stopped to kowtow and kneel, the light before the grave did not go off was his mother’s grave.

In order to commemorate Zhu Yuanzhang, carry forward the filial piety, so every year people come to the tomb and send some laterns to their relatives. This may be the origin of the sending laterns . And the dinner is also earlier. After the reunion dinner, they prepare the things in advance and send the laterns before the sun sets.

After the latern festival, spring festival is usually finished , people begin to work hard again for the whole year.

不同的地方，的确风俗不同，差异很大。在我的老家，十五这天有灯展，有奖猜灯谜，东北大秧歌一直可以闹到正月底。这天早上大家要吃煮好的元宵，南方是汤圆，我们是自己的滚的元宵，通常爸爸做这个最好吃。而如今，也没有几个自己动手做的了，都是买来汤圆直接煮着吃。

到了大连之后，风俗跟我的老家有点不一样，就是每年十五这天， 婆婆家都要给逝去的先人送灯。据说送灯的习俗也是部分地区才有， 山东的大部分地区，东北部分地区有这个习俗。十五这天，给逝去的先人送灯， 让他们感受到亲人的问候和温暖。

灯，五颜六色，市场上有各种各样漂亮的小灯，做的很小巧精致，每个也不贵，通常买两个放到祖先安息的地方。灯要在太阳落山之前送到，因此这天，通往纪念公园人很多，人山人海，通常一家几口人都过去送灯，场面也是很壮观。大家步行，边走边聊天，其实也给亲人之间增进情感提供了很好的交流机会。因此这天的坟地上会有很多漂亮的小灯在闪耀。

有的在送灯的时候还念叨：正月十五来送灯,送金灯、送银灯、送铁灯,有儿坟前一片明,无儿坟前黑洞洞。有心来偷灯,偷个大铁灯,背也背不动,天冷地滑闹个抑歪蹬,大布衫烧个大窟窿。

据说正月十五，给故去的亲人送灯的习俗是从明朝开始的。朱元璋当皇帝后，在元宵节这天去找他母亲的坟，但没有找到。于是他在每个坟前点了一盏灯，然后不停地磕头，哪个坟前的灯没有灭，哪个就是他母亲的坟。

为了纪念朱元璋，弘扬孝道，于是每年的正月十五元宵节这天,百姓们都给故去的亲人送灯。 这可能就是送灯的由来。而且这天晚饭也比较早，吃完十五团圆饭后，就去给故去的亲人送灯。所以，提前把该祭奠的东西准备好，吃了团圆饭后，天一落黑就去墓地送灯，祭奠亲人。

十五一过，春节的年味基本也就结束了，大家又开始了一年的忙碌。

感谢您的阅读，周末愉快！