Festival of Lanterns, the—
1. the concluding part of the newyear celebration according to the old Chinese calendar:
- The Festival of Lanterns takes place at the end of the Chinese New Year Celebration, on the fifteenth day of the first moon.
2. a great popular festival of Japan when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars:
- For three days in mid July, Japanese Buddhists celebrate Obon, or the Festival of Lanterns.
Festival of Lights, the—
1. Hanukkah (the Jewish festival of lights commemorating the victory of the Maccabees over Antiochus of Syria):
- Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, involves the lighting of candles for eight days.
2. Diwali (one of the major religious festivals in India, dedicated to the Goddess Kali):
- In India at Diwali, the festival of lights, houses are lit with candles and the Earth becomes like the heavens.