大家都知道元宵节要点花灯，张灯结彩、点响炮竹，放烟火，课大家知道为什么元宵节要点灯吗？这里有一个关于元宵节点灯的传说
there are many different beliefs about the origin of the lantern festival. but one thing for sure is that it had something to do with religious worship.
one legend tells us that it was a time to worship taiyi, the god of heaven in ancient times. the belief was that the god of heaven controlled the destiny of the human world. he had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence（瘟疫）upon human beings. beginning with qinshihuang, the first emperor to unite the country, all subsequent emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. the emperor would ask taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people. emperor wudi of the han dynasty directed special attention to this event. in 104 bc, he proclaimed it one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.
