The Lunar New Year holiday period was reserved mainly for family gatherings. The children who married out of the house went back to their birth home, bringing their wives and children to meet with the whole family. After two weeks of spending time in the warm embrace of families and fattening themselves with all the mouthwatering delicacies, the people in the Hong Kingdom were ready to take up their daily activities again in the new year.
The fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar marked the end of the New Year celebration. It was known as the Lantern Festival.
On that night, every corner of all streets was lit brightly. Lantern vendors could be seen every five meters, selling hand-painted lanterns of various sizes and shapes. After picking lanterns that they liked, the town people went out with the whole family to watch stage performances and eat glutinous flour balls that were immersed in sweet syrup.
