Mid-autumn Festival and Moon Cakes
Mid-Autumn festival’s Background
What is mid-autumn festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival also known as the Moon Festival or Moon cake Festival. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When was mid-autumn festival first appeared?
A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou Dynasty from 3,000 years ago. The celebration became popular during the early Tang Dynasty.
The history and origins of mid-autumn festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festivity for both the Han and minority nationalities. The custom of worshipping the moon (called xi yue in Chinese) can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties (2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.). In the Zhou Dynasty(1066 B.C.-221 B.C.), people hold ceremonies to greet winter and worship the moon whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival sets in. It becomes very prevalent in the Tang Dynasty(618-907 A.D.) that people enjoy and worship the full moon. In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.), however, people send round moon cakes to their relatives as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion.
The story of mid-autumn festival
Hou Yi was a tyrannical ruler who won the elixir of life by shooting 9 suns out of the sky with his bow. Even though he did this to save lots of people, but his wife Chang E knowing that the people 's lives would remain miserable for forever if Hou Yi’s life everlasting. So she drank the potion. The fluids made her lighter and lighter, and then she floated up into the moon. In memory of Chang E, people later set the date of the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month as Mid-Autumn Festival.
How do we celebrate mid-autumn festival?
Eating moon cakes.
Plan a family reunion dinner or barbecue on the evening of the full moon.
Attend a mid-autumn festival in your community or go to an area where you will have a good view of the moon.
Carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting
What is mid-autumn festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival also known as the Moon Festival or Moon cake Festival. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When was mid-autumn festival first appeared?
A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou Dynasty from 3,000 years ago. The celebration became popular during the early Tang Dynasty.
The history and origins of mid-autumn festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festivity for both the Han and minority nationalities. The custom of worshipping the moon (called xi yue in Chinese) can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties (2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.). In the Zhou Dynasty(1066 B.C.-221 B.C.), people hold ceremonies to greet winter and worship the moon whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival sets in. It becomes very prevalent in the Tang Dynasty(618-907 A.D.) that people enjoy and worship the full moon. In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.), however, people send round moon cakes to their relatives as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion.
The story of mid-autumn festival
Hou Yi was a tyrannical ruler who won the elixir of life by shooting 9 suns out of the sky with his bow. Even though he did this to save lots of people, but his wife Chang E knowing that the people 's lives would remain miserable for forever if Hou Yi’s life everlasting. So she drank the potion. The fluids made her lighter and lighter, and then she floated up into the moon. In memory of Chang E, people later set the date of the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month as Mid-Autumn Festival.
How do we celebrate mid-autumn festival?
Eating moon cakes.
Plan a family reunion dinner or barbecue on the evening of the full moon.
Attend a mid-autumn festival in your community or go to an area where you will have a good view of the moon.
Carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting
References: 1. Anonymous.(2001~2007) mid-autumn festival. http://www.chinavoc.com/festivals/Midautumn.htm/ Accessed 26Aug2012 2. Anonymous.(2012) mid –autumn festival http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival/ Accessed 26Aug2012 3. Anonymous.(2012) mid-autumn festival http://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/mid-autumn-festival.htm/ Accessed 26Aug2012