Chinese Brush Calligraphy, At the Lantern Festival 歐陽修 元夕 (元宵節）

Chinese brush calligraphy artwork, in Brighton, UK

This is an original Chinese brush artwork, hand written Xuan rice paper backed in freshly ground natural ink.  

Signed, dated and stamped with stone seals carved by myself which one bears my name, and another is a drawing of meditation. 

Written in my home studio Plum Blossom Ink Art. 

On the 15th day of the first lunar month, two weeks after Chinese New Year, another important traditional Chinese festival, the Chinese Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Jie or Yuanxiao Festival (元宵節), is celebrated. It marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the end of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) period. Chinese Lantern Festival 2022 will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 15th in 2022.

There are lots of activities Chinese people do on the day, but one of the exciting things is for unmarried women. 

China's Lantern Festival is one of the romantic traditional Chinese festivals. In ancient times, unmarried women were not allowed to go out of the house. The Chinese Lantern Festival provided an opportunity for them to stroll freely, lighting lanterns, playing games, and interacting with men. This is why some say that the Chinese Lantern Festival is the Chinese "Valentine's Day". 

This calligraphy work is a famous poem originally written by Song dynasty Ou Yangxiu. 

Last year at the Lantern Festival---By Ou Yangxiu

The blooming lanterns bright as noon.

The moon above a willow tree

Shone on my lover close to me.

This Festival comes now again,

The moon and lanterns bright as then.

But where’s my lover of last year?

My sleeves are wet with tear on tear.

去年元夜時，花市燈如晝。