During the Warring States period (476–221 B.C.), there was a devout official in the state of Chu.

The idiom 半途而廢 (bàn tú ér fèi), “give up halfway,” or leave something unfinished, originates from “The Doctrine of the Mean (1),” one of the four Confucian canonical scriptures.

The idiom “pulling up seedlings to help them grow” originated from an article by Meng Zi(1) (also known as Mencius) who was one of the great philosophers in Chinese history.

Literally, it means to “forget favors and betray justice.”

The idiom “No idea what to do with one’s hands and feet” can also be translated as “to be at a loss” or be bewildered.

There are many legends about the origin of the Lantern Festival also called Yuanxiao Festival. It is on February 18th this year.