So in ancient times, people would take note of the weather on mid-autumn festival, and decide whether or not to hang their beautifully handcrafted lantern outside on the 15th.
In Taoist terminology, the 15th day of the 1st month is considered the birthday of a great Taoist Deity, and it was called Shang Yuan Festival meaning Upper Yuan Festival.
The Lantern Festival, falling on the 15th day of the first month of the traditional Chinese calendar, has long been a time for people to hang colorful lanterns, play riddle games, and express wishes for a prosperous year ahead.
Happening on the 15th day of the first lunar month (February 5 this year), the event, called Yuan Xiao Jie in Mandarin Chinese, is considered the perfect ending to the weeks-long Lunar New Year preparations and celebrations.
As time passed, people gradually stopped worshiping Taiyi Shen, but the custom of lighting lanterns for gods and buddhas during the first month of the year continued.
From this point on, lighting lanterns became popular among common people, and eventually developed into a grand celebration on January 15th of the Lunar calendar.
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way.
13 In the six-hundred-first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground.
They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.