The Spring Lantern Festival – don’t miss it in Sai Kung
The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the night of the first full moon after the Spring Festival.
Traditionally, people eat sweet dumplings during this festival. Sweet dumplings, round balls of glutinous rice flour with sugar filling (tong yuen in Cantonese), symbolize reunion. During the festival people display multicolored lanterns on the streets and courtyards, and stroll around admiring them at night, hence the name “Lantern Festival.”
Some places also hold evening parties for people to guess riddles written on lanterns.
Sai Kung's own lantern festival is held in Wai Man Road Playground (opposite the swimming pool and behind the sports ground).
Valentine’s Day – look for specials in restaurants throughout Sai Kung
In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour June, Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Feast of Lupercalia started the next day in which boys and girls were paired by drawing names (sometimes leading to romance).
But around the year 270 when Emperor Claudius II had a difficult time recruiting soldiers, thinking that it was because they didn’t want to leave their wives, he cancelled all marriages in Rome. St. Valentine (or - at that time a lowly priest) secretly married couples against the Emperor's wishes and was tracked down, beaten to death and beheaded on February 14th.
Such a sacrifice for the sake of love...thanks St. Valentine!
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