The Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration, usually features public fireworks displays. In a sign of the times, however, Beijing and other Chinese cities canceled their events Friday because of heavy smog caused by air pollution.
Experts say fireworks can worsen smog, especially during bad weather.
The Xinhua news agency reported that fireworks sales dropped sharply in Jiangxi Province, a major area for fireworks production. In Nanchang, street cleaners had their normal Lantern Festival workload cut in half because there was less debris from firecracker explosions.
Here in Zhengzhou, where I’m living, firecrackers popped throughout the night. But they were set off by individuals and weren’t part of an official celebration. The public display in a local park was called off.
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This year’s Lantern Festival fell on the same day as Valentine’s Day, causing a potential conflict. Chinese people traditionally celebrate the Lantern Festival with their families, while Valentine’s Day is reserved for lovers.
So which holiday took precedence?
In a recent survey, 44 percent of those polled said they planned to celebrate the day with their romantic partner while only 25 percent said they would spend the day with their parents. Love apparently conquers all, including ancient tradition.
