Staffers inside Olympic bubble find new ways to celebrate Lantern Festival

BEIJING (KXAN) — Tuesday marks the start of the traditional Lantern Festival in China, which represents the end of the Chinese New Year.

It’s a sacred celebration Chinese citizens within the closed loop can’t celebrate like they normally would with their family because of COVID-19 protocols causing them to stay inside the bubble.

So they’re carrying out the tradition a little differently.

The dining hall is the starting point for Lantern Festival activities. Once you walk in, you’ll get a paper, and that’s where the fun and search for a Chinese lantern begins. 

“It’s just a good wish for our future life,” one volunteer said. “We hope we’ll have a happy family.”

The festival would normally be spent with loved ones, under a cloud of red lanterns honoring relatives who have passed away. But instead, Chinese workers and volunteers in the bubble solve riddles placed on dining hall tables. After finding the answer, it leads them to a lantern.

It’s a small token that makes a big difference for those undergoing temporary isolation during the Games.

“This is a very good reflection of the reunion and the friendship of the lantern festival. This is also a reflection of the Olympic spirit,” the International Olympic Committee said during a press conference.