Why Are Lanterns Lit for Baby Boys and Not Baby Girls?
The lantern lighting tradition is held to welcome baby boys. While more and more families will have a lantern lighting to welcome baby girls, sexism still exists and some villages will only light lanterns for boys. The ritual originated because 電燈 (dian deng, to light a lantern) rhymes with 添丁 (tian ding, to have a baby boy).What Happens During the Lantern Lighting Ritual?
After a baby boy is born, the family will write the boy’s name and some lucky wishes on a lantern, light it, and hang it on the family’s ancestral temple. Some families may opt to light an oil lamp at home. After the lantern is lit, the boy is officially accepted into the clan and can now inherit land.During the winter Lantern Festival, families who had a boy in the past year will all have 丁舊 (ding jiu), a banquet dinner at the temple in which nine courses called 久子戜 (jiu zi die). The food is to wish the babies live long lives and do well in school. After dinner, the families take their lanterns home.
