Should we eat Yuanxiao on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the morning or in the evening? What time do we eat Yuanxiao on the Lantern Festival?

The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in my country with many customs. This day is very lively, with activities such as watching lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, etc. So, should we eat Yuanxiao on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the morning or in the evening? What time do we eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival?

Should we eat Yuanxiao in the morning or in the evening on the 15th day of the first lunar month?

According to the traditional customs, it is usually eaten in the evening (6/7 o'clock). The Lantern Festival was also known as the Zhongyuan Festival in ancient times. According to traditional festival customs, the whole city would go out to watch lanterns and guess lantern riddles at night, and the festival would last for quite a long time. Glutinous rice balls are usually made from glutinous rice flour, which is harder to digest and less filling. People in ancient times usually only ate two meals a day. In order not to feel hungry when watching the lanterns at night, they would go out to watch the lanterns and guess riddles after eating glutinous rice balls, which would allow them to last longer and also help digest food better. So traditionally, it is eaten at night. Of course, nowadays there aren’t so many particulars. You can eat whenever you like. Of course, from a health point of view, it is not advisable to eat Yuanxiao for breakfast.

It is not suitable to eat Yuanxiao for breakfast

Yuanxiao is a high-calorie, high-sugar food that contains oil, but lacks nutrients. Apart from calories and sugar, it does not have much other nutrition. Such food is not suitable for breakfast. In addition to the lack of nutrition, the gastrointestinal function is weakest when people get up early, and the outer skin of Yuanxiao is mostly glutinous rice, which is very sticky and difficult to digest. Therefore, eating Yuanxiao for breakfast can easily cause indigestion, acid reflux, heartburn, etc., which will affect the work and life of the day.

What is the meaning of eating Yuanxiao on the 15th day of the first lunar month?

It symbolizes joy and family reunion. It can also warm the spleen and stomach, regulate qi, and resist spring cold. Yuanxiao was originally called "tangyuan" because it floated on the water after being cooked, which was very beautiful and reminded people of a bright moon hanging in the sky. There is a bright moon in the sky, dumplings in the bowl, and every family is reunited, symbolizing reunion and auspiciousness. Therefore, eating Yuanxiao expresses people's love for family reunion.

The Origin of Eating Yuanxiao on the 15th Day of the First Lunar Month

The custom of eating Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival was formed around the Song Dynasty. According to records, during the Tang Dynasty, people ate "noodle cocoons" and "round but not falling corners" during the Lantern Festival. In the Southern Song Dynasty, "lactose balls" appeared, which should be the predecessor of glutinous rice balls. The poem "Cooking Floating Dumplings on Lantern Festival" written by Zhou Bida in the Song Dynasty contains the lines "Stars shine in the dark clouds, pearls float in the turbid water". By the Ming Dynasty, "Yuanxiao" had more names.