关于元宵节的传说和故事
正所谓一年一岁佳节至，最是元夕望团圆。元宵节是我国重要的传统节日之一，而且在2008年国家更是把元宵节指定为“非物质文化遗产”，可见这个节日的重要性，相信大家都知道元宵节应该吃元宵，但是除了吃元宵以外呢?这些故事，你听说过吗?
关于元宵：三种传说与一个故事
元宵节来历传说一
宵节是汉文帝时为纪念“平吕”而设。相传吕后一系在吕后死后害怕大全旁落，密谋叛乱，宗室齐王刘囊联合开国老臣周勃一起平定了“诸吕之乱”。平乱之后，众臣拥立刘邦的第二个儿子刘恒登基，称汉文帝。文帝深感太平盛世来之不易，便把平息“诸吕之乱”的正月十五，定为与民同乐日，京城里家家张灯结彩，以示庆祝。从此，正月十五便成了一个普天同庆的民间节日--“闹元宵”。
元宵节来历传说二
元宵节又称“上元节”,是人们庆祝一年中第一次的月圆之夜。据道教的“三元说”,正月十五日为上元节，七月十五日为中元节，十月十五日为下元节。主管上、中、下三元的分别为天、地、人三官，天官喜乐，故上元节要燃灯。元宵燃灯放烟火的习俗就是从这个说法来的。
元宵节来历传说三
元宵节起源于“火把节”,汉代民众在乡间田野持火把驱赶虫兽，希望减轻虫害，祈祷获得好收成。直到今天，中国西南一些地区的人们还在正月十五用芦柴或树枝做成火把，成群结队高举火把在田头或晒谷场跳舞。隋、唐、宋以来，更是盛极一时。参加歌舞者足达数万，从昏达旦，至晦而罢。当随着社会和时代的变迁，元宵节的风俗习惯早已有了较大的变化，但至今仍是中国民间传统节日，火把也逐渐变为了彩灯。
自唐朝中期以来，元宵节发展成为了我国全民性的狂欢节，因此元宵节是把传统节日习俗体现得最为彻底和典型的传统节日。
大部分地方元宵节习俗有吃元宵、观花灯、猜灯谜，还有擂鼓、舞龙、舞狮等活动，但南北各地风俗也有独特之处。
元宵节的传说故事(双语版)
Story of the Lantern Festival
A long, long time ago, wild beasts and ferocious (凶猛的) birds were a great threat to people's lives. So people always went out to hunt these beasts and birds. But one day, they accidentally (偶然地) killed a bird that was actually a magical bird that fell to the human world and lost its way. What's more, the bird was the favorite pet of the Heavenly Emperor (天帝). The Heavenly emperor was furious. As a revenge (报复), he ordered his soldiers to set fire on the human world on the 15th of the first lunar month (正月十五), and burn down everything.
But the Heavenly Emperor's daughter was very kind. She sneaked out (偷偷溜出来) from heaven and told people of the bad news. People were of course extremely scared. They didn't know what they could do to avoid their doom. Then one wise old man said: "There's something we can try. We can hang up bright lanterns, paint the front of our homes red, set off fireworks (放鞭炮) and build bonfires (篝火) on that day. This way, maybe the Heavenly Emperor would think that the fire has burnt down everything."
People were not sure whether this would work. But they followed the wise man's idea anyway. On the night of January15th, the Emperor looked down from Heaven and saw red light and fire everywhere, accompanied with loud bangs. He thought that his order had already been carried out, and so happily returned to his palace.
So of course, people survived. In order to commemorate this lucky escape, every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, they would light up lanterns and set off fireworks. That's the story of the Lantern Festival.
元宵节的故事
传说在很久以前，凶禽猛兽很多，四处伤害人和牲畜，人们就组织起来去打它们， 有一只神鸟困为迷路而降落人间，却意外的被不知情的猎人给射死了。天帝知道后十分震怒，立即传旨，下令让天兵于正月十五日到人间放火，把人间的人畜财产通通烧死。 天帝的女儿心地善良，不忍心看百姓无辜受难，就冒着生命的危险，偷偷驾着祥云来到人间，把这个消息告诉了人们。众人听说了这个消息，有如头上响了一个焦雷。吓得不知如何是好，过了好久，才有个老人家想出个法子，他说：“在正月十四、十五、十六日这三天，每户人家都在家里张灯结彩、点响爆竹、 燃放烟火。这样一来，天帝就会以为人们都被烧死了”。
大家听了都点头称 是，便分头准备去了。到了正月十五这天晚上，天帝往下一看，发觉人间一片红光，响声震天，连续三个夜晚都是如此，以为是大火燃烧的火焰，心中大快。
人们就这样保住了自己的生命及财产。为了纪念这次成功，从此每年正月十五，家家户户都悬挂灯笼，放烟火来纪念这个日子。