Mid-Autumn Festival
October 6
The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) is one of the most significant traditional Chinese festivals. The festival is marked by family reunions and enjoying mooncakes. It symbolizes thanksgiving and harvest celebration.
Table of Contents
- When is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
- The History of the Mid-Autumn Festival
- What Do People Do on This Day?
- The Legend of Chang'e
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which typically corresponds to a date in September or early October on the Gregorian calendar.
The following is the list of the Mid-Autumn Festival from 2020 to 2049.
The History of the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival (中秋节), is one of the most significant traditional festivals in China and many other East Asian cultures.
The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history spanning over 3,000 years, with roots in ancient Chinese traditions and myths.
The festival's origins can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty, where people worshipped the moon as part of their religious beliefs. The moon was believed to have a mystical influence on agriculture and harvests.
The practice of moon worship became more structured, with rituals conducted by emperors and farmers to give thanks for good harvests in the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE). The concept of the moon as a deity emerged, leading to ceremonies dedicated to the Moon Goddess.
The Mid-Autumn Festival gained widespread popularity during the Tang Dynasty, an era known for its cultural and artistic achievements.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was officially recognized as a national celebration. Mooncakes became a popular food, symbolizing reunion and prosperity. Lantern displays and community gatherings became part of the festivities.
The festival continued to evolve during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368–1912 CE), incorporating lantern displays and dragon dances.
Today, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a public holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated among Chinese communities worldwide.
What Do People Do on This Day?
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people participate in various traditional and modern activities that revolve around family reunions and cultural festivities.
The full moon symbolizes wholeness and unity making moon-gazing a central tradition. Families and friends gather outdoors to watch the moon rise.
Mooncakes (月饼) are round pastries symbolizing family reunion and completeness. Families exchange and share mooncakes as gifts.
Lanterns are a key symbol of the festival, representing hope and good fortune. People light colorful lanterns and carry them while walking around parks or along rivers.
Many people set up altars with offerings of fruits, incense, and mooncakes to honor the Moon Goddess Chang'e. This tradition is more common among older generations and in rural areas.
In some regions, especially in southern China and Vietnam, people enjoy lion and dragon dances.
The Legend of Chang'e
The legend of Chang'e, the Moon Goddess is one of the most famous stories associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. It tells the tale of love and immortality, explaining why people worship the moon during the festival.
In ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky, scorching the land and causing great suffering. The world was in chaos, and crops withered under the extreme heat.
Hou Yi was a mighty archer and skilled warrior. He climbed to the top of Kunlun Mountain and shot down nine of the ten suns with his bow, leaving only one sun to light the world. His heroic act saved the people, and he became a beloved hero.
As a reward for his bravery, the Queen Mother of the West (西王母) gifted him a divine elixir. Whoever drank it would ascend to the heavens and become immortal.
Hou Yi did not want to leave his beloved wife, Chang'e (嫦娥), so he chose not to drink the elixir. Instead, he hid it in their home. But fate had other plans…
One day, while Hou Yi was away, his jealous apprentice, Feng Meng (逢蒙), tried to steal the elixir. To prevent the elixir from falling into the wrong hands, Chang'e quickly drank it.
The elixir made Chang'e light as a feather, and she began to float toward the heavens. She drifted higher and higher, eventually landing on the moon, where she became the Moon Goddess.
When Hou Yi returned and learned what had happened, he was heartbroken. He placed offerings of Chang'e's favorite foods, including mooncakes, under the full moon, hoping she could see them.
When Chang'e arrived on the moon, she was not alone. She found a kind rabbit who was already living there. This rabbit, known as the Jade Rabbit (玉兔), became her companion. The Jade Rabbit is said to pound herbs in a mortar, trying to make a potion that will reunite Chang'e and Hou Yi.
