A brief note on what * I   think * differences between Tang Yuan 湯圓 and Yuan Xiao 元宵 - just for the record. Historical facts:  Yuan Xiao - it's easier to explain Yuan Xiao by its Korean name  正月大滿月 which means Big Full Moon. Yuanxiao therefore means the Evening/Eve of Big Full Moon (to Koreans).  Yuanxiao  - the yuan  元  therefore is about the Moon (Lunar year, welcoming Spring). It's about a religion. It's a public event. Tangyuan - the yuan  圓  is about family reunion. It's a more culturally homey, private event.  Therefore - Yuan in Yuanxiao and Yuan in Tangyuan is NOT to be confused.  Yuanxiao  元宵 is in a Ming dynasty literature as a Northern China term equivalent to Tangyuan South of  The Yangtze River. The process of Yuanxiao is detailed in this Ming literature - that is to shake (which means roll not by hands, but by in a basket). Hence the term 摇元宵. The reason I call it a 'public event' is because it is for mass production, and the bas