中秋节

中秋节，THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

• The Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival dedicated to celebrating the harvest moon. It is a time for family reunion and love. The festival was first celebrated in the Zhou dynasty, over 3,000 years ago. Ancient Emperors worshipped the moon regularly, but as time passed on, it became tradition for all people to sacrifice to the moon goddess and to celebrate the harvest moon. Now it is a very well known festival that is celebrated as a holiday of reunion for Chinese people all around the world

THE LEGEND

• The Legend of Chang E The story of Chang E is one if the most famous stories told during the festival. Due to its long history, there are many versions of the tale. In essence, the story is about two lovers, Chang E and Hou Yi. Hou Yi was a hero who saved China from nine suns and defeated monsters that plagued the land. When he came back, he married Chang E. For his heroism, he is given an elixir that is supposed to make him immortal. When he arrived home once more, he presented the elixir to Chang E for safe keeping. Then one day when Hou Yi goes out hunting, some stories state that an admirer of Hou Yi came into the house and demanded that Chang E gives him the elixir. To keep him from getting it, Chang E quickly drinks the elixir, and she began to float away, and eventually she landed in the moon. When Hou Yi returns home and finds that his wife is gone, he began to mourn and when he cried out her name the moon shone brighter. It is said that on the 15th day of the 8th month of a lunar year, the moon shines so brightly so that two lovers get to see each other once again.

TRADITIONAL FOOD

• Food is a very large part of tradition in many cultural celebrations, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is no exception. Considering how large China is, everyone doesn’t eat the same thing, In some parts of the country, people eat duck, crab, pumpkin, or maybe even snails, but there is one particular food that is found all across China during this time of year.

月饼

• Mooncakes are a very important part of the celebration. The tradition began long ago during the Yuan dynasty, a time period in which h China was ruled by the Mongols. It is said that rebels used Mooncakes to pass around their secret messages. Today, while they are not items of rebellion, they continue to remind people of the Mid-Autumn Festival. No matter if they’re red bean or green tea flavored, the roundness of the mooncake represents togetherness of family during the festival that is all about reuniting with those you love.

TRADITION

• Since the holiday is so old, there are a multitude of ways to celebrate it. Some people go out traveling with their family. There is a large tradition of making lanterns and releasing them into the sky or the water. There is can be dancing or parades, but the most important part of the festival is reunion. This is time when families far and wide get together to celebrate each other, and if for some reason, a family cannot see each other, they can take comfort in the fact that they both get to see the same harvest moon together, no matter where they are in the world.

WHEN TO CELEBRATE

• The date of the Mid-Autumn Festival is October 4th this year, however, that is not always the case. The Festival takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month of a lunar year