FYI, today is Yuan Xiao Jie (元宵节) -- The Lantern Festival. It's the 15th day of the new year on the Chinese calendar and the last day of the Spring Festival. That means the first full moon of the new year, lanterns sailing through the air, lots of celebration around town, and people eating tangyuan (汤圆), those caloric rice balls typically filled with black sesame.

People eat tangyuan for lots of reasons: tables for family reunion dinners are round; the moon is round; and, as usual, the easiest explanation is just, "it's good fortune." Tangyuan is a southern thing though. In north China, they eat yuan xiao (元宵), a bigger, harder dessert rice ball. Anyway, tangyuan are really good -- grab a bowl at your local Chinese restaurant or buy a bag at the supermarket and boil them yourself.

This year's Lantern Festival in Shanghai has a couple of highlights, and one of them is happening at The Inlet, running until March 3. The place is decked out with huge horse-themed lanterns and offers a mix of traditional and modern vibes. There's a Lantern Fair, a fun handcraft workshop where you can make your own tangyuan, and a bunch of games with small prizes. The entrance is free.

For more old-school vibes, Yu Garden's Lantern Festival runs until March 3, with big Horse lantern installations and smaller ones hung throughout the Old City's upper floors.

Some other spots also have Lantern Festival decorations, like Panlong Tiandi in Qingpu and EKA Tianwu in Pudong. These might be a better option if you don't live downtown and are looking to avoid the larger crowds.

(Obviously, no fireworks at either location this year.)

Expect big crowds, extravagant decorations, and the final wave of the holiday spirit. Around 7-8pm should be a good time to show up. Even if you don't, take a break from that WeChat moon to look up at the real moon. Happy Yuan Xiao Jie.