Mid-Autumn Festival
Date:Mid-Autumn Festival is fixed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year, and the corresponding Gregorian calendar date will vary due to changes in the lunar calendar.
Overview:Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, Autumn Festival, and Reunion Festival, is one of China’s important traditional festivals. It is centered on moon-watching, moon-cake eating, and family reunion, implying reunion and happiness. Mid-Autumn Festival is one of China’s four major traditional festivals along with the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival, and is listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival
The history of Mid-Autumn Festival can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty, when there was already a custom of “autumn dusk and evening moon”, and people worshipped the moon god in autumn and prayed for a good harvest. In the Tang Dynasty, Mid-Autumn Festival gradually became a fixed festival, and was integrated with moon-watching and entertainment activities. After the Song Dynasty, eating moon cakes and family reunions became the main customs, further enriching the connotation of the festival.
Main customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival
- Moon-watching:The moon is the roundest and brightest on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, symbolizing reunion and harmony. Throughout the ages, moon-watching is the core activity of the Mid-Autumn Festival. People gather in courtyards, towers or by the river, appreciating the moon while reciting poems and writing essays to express their good wishes.
- Eating mooncakes:Mooncakes are an important symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and their round shape symbolizes reunion and happiness. Traditional mooncakes have fillings such as lotus paste, five kernels, and egg yolks, while modern mooncakes have added innovative flavors such as snowy mooncakes and chocolate mooncakes.
- Reunion dinner:The Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunions. Many people will go home no matter how busy they are to share delicious food with their loved ones and reminisce about family time.
- Lantern-watching:Some areas will hold lantern exhibitions or lantern parades during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which not only adds to the festive atmosphere, but also adds luster to the festival celebrations.
- Moon Worship: Traditionally, people offer fruits, cakes and other offerings to the moon god during the Mid-Autumn Festival to express gratitude and blessings.
The Cultural Significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival embodies the Chinese people’s deep feelings for family and reunion. No matter where they are, people look up at the same bright moon on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, expressing their thoughts and blessings for their loved ones. It is not only a symbol of family reunion, but also an expression of the yearning for a better life.
The cultural influence of the Mid-Autumn Festival goes far beyond China. In East and Southeast Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and other places, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also regarded as an important traditional festival, with different forms but similar emotions. In modern society, the Mid-Autumn Festival is still one of the representative symbols of Chinese culture, embodying the cultural identity and sense of belonging of Chinese people all over the world.
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