Taiwan Lantern Festival

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During the Lantern Festival (元宵節), the first full moon of the Lunar New Year, communities across Taiwan gather to celebrate the close of the New Year festivities. In 2026, the Lantern Festival falls on March 3 (the 15th day of the first lunar month).

One of the most iconic traditions in Taiwan is the release of sky lanterns (天燈), especially in Pingxi (平溪) in New Taipei City. Thousands of glowing lanterns rise into the night sky, each carrying handwritten wishes. Across the island, cities also host large-scale Lantern Festival celebrations featuring monumental illuminated installations, animated light sculptures, and zodiac-themed lantern displays.

During this time, families eat tangyuan (湯圓), glutinous rice balls served in sweet soup, whose round shape represents unity. Some common sights include children carring paper lanterns, temples glowing with offerings, and streets filled with performance and light.

In the Year of the Horse, many lanterns feature the character 「馬」, drawing on the horse’s cultural symbolism of vitality, speed, endurance, and auspicious momentum. People often write playful word-based blessings / puns and idiomatic expressions incorporating 「馬」, to express hopes for success, progress, and new beginnings in the year ahead.

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Make and release your own lantern

1 Pick your lantern

2 Add a sticker

3 Write your wishes

Health

Fortune

Family

Work

4 Release

請先選擇燈籠 / Please select a lantern first

請先選擇圖案 / Please select a design first

Concept, design, illo: Daisy Chung

Concept, dev, motion: Julia Janicki

Sayings research, illo: Yu-Wen Jan

Calligraphy: Jamie Wu (Daisy’s mom)