Chinese Lantern Festival

Chinese Lantern Festival

Date: February 21

Time: 16:45-19:00

Location: Batthyány Street, Debrecen

We invite you to an incredibly exciting, winter-chasing street carnival in the oldest pedestrian street of Debrecen!

Did you know that in many parts of the world, it is a tradition to drive away winter and evil spirits while welcoming light and spring?

The Chinese Lantern Festival is traditionally held in February to mark the end of the Chinese New Year. This coincides with the Hungarian carnival season (farsang), which is also celebrated around this time. At the joint event of the Debrecen Creative Community and the Confucius Institute, you can experience a colorful, lantern-lit environment while enjoying a Chinese cultural performance featuring music, dance, and singing. You will also have the chance to get acquainted with a traditional Chinese musical instrument, the guzheng (kucseng), and be dazzled by the spectacular fire jugglers' light show.

During this vibrant event, we invite children to participate in a costume contest—with exciting prizes, of course! To top it all off, the event will conclude with a fantastic street party featuring a performance by Aquamanó.

As the final act of the evening, we will grab wooden spoons and, with loud shouting and stomping, chase away winter together, looking forward to the future with light and optimism. Feel free to bring any noise-making instruments, such as wooden spoons or bells!

Program Schedule:

1. 16:15-17:00 Fairy tale workshop at Debreceni Pagony
2. 16:45 Registration for the costume contest, introduction to the Chinese language
3. 17:00 Opening ceremony
4. 17:15 Chinese dance and music performance
5. 17:30 Fire jugglers' light show
6. 17:45 Carnival tradition showcase, costume contest, and photography
7. 18:00 Musical carnival family show featuring Aquamanó
8. 18:50-19:00 Collective winter-chasing ritual