The Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Mooncake Festival. It is the second most important festival in China after the Spring Festival. Many other Asian countries also celebrate this festival, such as Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. In China, Mid-Autumn Festival is to celebrate the harvest of rice and many fruits. The ceremony is held both to thank the harvest and to encourage the light that bestows it to return again in the coming year. It's also a time for family reunions, kind of like Thanksgiving. Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by gathering for meals, worshipping the moon, lighting paper lanterns and eating moon cakes. Traditionally, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is September or early October of the Gregorian calendar.
Why people celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of more than 3,000 years. It originated from the custom of worshiping the moon in autumn, thanks to its good harvest. In the process of cultural and historical development, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been endowed with more meaning, and families are reunited to pray for good health and happiness In modern times, people celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival mainly as a time for family reunion. It is said that the moon on this day is the brightest and roundest, which means family reunion. Because the central theme of the holiday is family reunion, it is sometimes reminiscent of American Thanksgiving
How do we celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?
As the second most important festival in China, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in many traditional ways. Here are some of the most popular traditional celebrations.
Dinner with family. The roundness of the moon represents family reunion in the hearts of Chinese people. Families will have dinner together on Mid-Autumn Festival night. Public holidays (usually 3 days) are mainly to allow enough time for Chinese people working in different places to reunite. Those who live too far from their parents' house usually hang out with friends.
Eat moon cakes Mooncakes are the most representative food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The round shape and sweet taste symbolize fullness and sweetness. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people eat mooncakes with their families or give mooncakes to relatives or friends to express their love and good wishes. Mooncakes are usually eaten after dinner while viewing the moon.
Admire the moon The full moon is a symbol of family reunion in Chinese culture. As the saying goes, "the moon is the brightest and most beautiful on the Mid-Autumn Festival night". Chinese people usually set up a table outside the house, sit together to admire the moon and eat delicious moon cakes. Parents with children often tell the legend of Chang'e flying to the moon. As a game, children do their best to find the shape of Chang'e on the moon. There are many poems in China that praise the beauty of the moon and express people's thoughts of friends and family during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Worship the Moon According to the legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a fairy named Chang'e and a cute rabbit lived on the moon. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people set the table under the moon, put moon cakes, snacks, fruits, and light candles. Some people believe that by worshipping the moon, Chang'e (moon goddess) can fulfill their wishes.
Make and carry Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns Lanterns are an important part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. People make lanterns, hold lanterns to watch the moon, hang lanterns on trees or houses, put sky lanterns, or visit public lantern exhibitions, so it's even called the Lantern Festival (not to be confused with the Full Moon Festival after Chinese New Year) .
In modern times, in addition to traditional activities, many Chinese celebrate the festival by giving away red envelopes and/or traveling during the three-day public holiday.
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