元宵节是中国的传统佳节，吃元宵、猜灯谜的等习俗也让这一天拥有了独特的热闹气氛，甚至华灯初上时“月上柳梢头，人约黄昏后”的意境也让一些人将此视为中国古代真正的情人节。其实赏灯的节日并非只有中国才有，远在地中海的意大利也有着类似的节日，只不过意大利人的节日并非年轻人相识的情人节，而是纪念圣母玛利亚的诞辰。就让我们用一组大片来欣赏意大利人的花灯。
Known as the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar， marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations (the day of 2016 is February 22). During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night to temples carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns. Nevertheless， there are also festivals of lanterns in other countries. Italy is one of them.
在意大利的佛罗伦萨，每年都会举行一个名为“The Festa della Rificolona”的节日。
In September every year, “The Festa della Rificolona” or Festival of the Paper Lanterns is held in Florence, Italy.
根据耶稣诞生的故事，圣母玛利亚的生日是未知年份的9月8日诞生，而这也是该节日的来源。
According to Christian tradition, on September 8 of an unknown year somewhere near Nazareth the Virgin Mary was born.
如今的节日并不十分隆重，但在过去时，节日当天都会有成千上万的农民和农场主从周边地区前来，举行盛大的庆典。
Today, the religious celebrations are followed halfheartedly but at one time it was a great popular tradition where hundreds of peasants and farmers from the surroundings would make the long trek into the city to celebrate.
尽管朝圣是当时庆典的主要目的，但农民们并不会空手前来。他们带着自己的产品——奶酪、蜂蜜、时蔬、手工艺品，正如中国的赶集一般。因此9月8日也是佛罗伦萨的集市日。
While the pilgrimage was the official reason for the trip into Florence, the farmers did not come into the city empty handed. It was a great opportunity to bring in their goods - cheeses, honey, the season's vegetables, and small handmade items. Thus September 8 was also a market day in the square of Santissima Annunziata.
为了能准时参加庆典，当时的朝圣者通常在黎明之前便已出发，灯笼自然就成了他们不可或缺的工具。
In order to arrive to the religious services on time, many started their journey before the break of dawn. The farmers needed lanterns and these were often carried at the end of stick, candles protected by a frame made of thin cloth.
这种传统也延续至今，佛罗伦萨人和“朝圣者”们每年都会出现于街道，开始他们的华灯之旅。
The tradition continues today so that on the eve of the 8th of September, Florentines and other "pilgrims" carry paper lanterns at the end of a stick as they make their way through the streets of Florence.
