Call it the moon festival or the mid-autumn festival or the lantern festival but this festival that takes places on the fifteenth day of the eight lunar month is one of light, tradition, color and lets not forget food. It normally occurs on any day between mid September to mid October.
So what is this moon festival that the Chinese people celebrate every year? The moon festival more often than not coincides with the date of the autumn equinox and is the day when the moon is the furthest from the earth and appears bright and round.
The legend behind the Chinese moon festival
As legend goes the festival revolves around Chang’e and Hou-yi who was the divine archer. This is how the legend goes…Hou-yi had managed to shoot down nine of the ten Suns that were problematic for the Earth. The Goddess Xiwangmu, as a reward gave Hou-yi the herb of immortality, which was his wife Chang’e found and consumed. This was a mistake and when she realized her folly and not wanting face her husband’s wrath she fled to the moon to cough up the herb, which was turned into the Jade Rabbit.
Till today you will see children looking for the Jade Rabbit on the moon’s surface on the day on the moon festival. The festival is full of colorful lanterns made of paper with motifs of rabbits, phoenix, fish and other auspicious animals. This Moon festival or the mid-autumn festival has been celebrated to thank the Gods for food and harvest and has been celebrated since the first century and is also considered the Harvest festival for the same reason.
How the Chinese people celebrate the moon festival?
The Chinese moon festival is about food and celebration. As we know, this festival is also called the Harvest festival, this is because of the fact that the vegetables and grains have been harvested and it is not the time for celebration and relaxation.
The festival is celebrated by following some traditions that have been prominent since the first century. Fruits and vegetables are put up on an alter in courtyards. Some of the more prominent fruits are pears, apples, peaches, grapes, pomelos, pomegranates and melons. Some typical traditional foods like moon cakes, cooked taro, edible snails and water caltrope are must in ever house celebrating the Chinese moon festival.
Lets talk about the moon cakes. These moon cakes look like small fruitcakes of the West. They are made of various things…it can be melon seeds, lotus seeds, almonds or orange peels. Some moon cakes are made with minced meats or bean paste. Each moon cake was then decorated with a golden yolk from a salted duck egg placed in the center. Symbols of the festival like rabbits or phoenix motifs are used to decorate the crusts of the cakes. These moon cakes are placed in a certain manner. Thirteen moon cakes are placed in the shape of a pyramid on a table, this signifies a complete year with 12 moons and one intercalary moon.
Customs followed by the Chinese during the Chinese moon festival
The Chinese celebrate a lot of festivals, but one of the biggest other than the Chinese Lunar New Year is the Chinese Moon festival. On this day people not only gather together but they also have certain customs that give this festival a traditional feel.
One of the most important things for them to do is eat moon cakes under the moon…after all the festival is about the Moon! They also put pomelo rinds on their heads and carry bright lanterns. No Chinese tradition is complete without burning incense, incense sticks are burned and respect is given to the deity of Chang’e.
Since it is also the Harvest festival, some people, mostly farmers will plant mid-autumn trees. Dandelion leaves are collected and distributed among family members. And lets not forget the colorful fire dragon dances on streets.
What better way to celebrate a festival than with color and food…and if you want to learn to celebrate the Chinese way, find your way to a Chinese family’s home on the Chinese Moon festival day.
So what is this moon festival that the Chinese people celebrate every year? The moon festival more often than not coincides with the date of the autumn equinox and is the day when the moon is the furthest from the earth and appears bright and round.
The legend behind the Chinese moon festival
As legend goes the festival revolves around Chang’e and Hou-yi who was the divine archer. This is how the legend goes…Hou-yi had managed to shoot down nine of the ten Suns that were problematic for the Earth. The Goddess Xiwangmu, as a reward gave Hou-yi the herb of immortality, which was his wife Chang’e found and consumed. This was a mistake and when she realized her folly and not wanting face her husband’s wrath she fled to the moon to cough up the herb, which was turned into the Jade Rabbit.
Till today you will see children looking for the Jade Rabbit on the moon’s surface on the day on the moon festival. The festival is full of colorful lanterns made of paper with motifs of rabbits, phoenix, fish and other auspicious animals. This Moon festival or the mid-autumn festival has been celebrated to thank the Gods for food and harvest and has been celebrated since the first century and is also considered the Harvest festival for the same reason.
How the Chinese people celebrate the moon festival?
The Chinese moon festival is about food and celebration. As we know, this festival is also called the Harvest festival, this is because of the fact that the vegetables and grains have been harvested and it is not the time for celebration and relaxation.
The festival is celebrated by following some traditions that have been prominent since the first century. Fruits and vegetables are put up on an alter in courtyards. Some of the more prominent fruits are pears, apples, peaches, grapes, pomelos, pomegranates and melons. Some typical traditional foods like moon cakes, cooked taro, edible snails and water caltrope are must in ever house celebrating the Chinese moon festival.
Lets talk about the moon cakes. These moon cakes look like small fruitcakes of the West. They are made of various things…it can be melon seeds, lotus seeds, almonds or orange peels. Some moon cakes are made with minced meats or bean paste. Each moon cake was then decorated with a golden yolk from a salted duck egg placed in the center. Symbols of the festival like rabbits or phoenix motifs are used to decorate the crusts of the cakes. These moon cakes are placed in a certain manner. Thirteen moon cakes are placed in the shape of a pyramid on a table, this signifies a complete year with 12 moons and one intercalary moon.
Customs followed by the Chinese during the Chinese moon festival
The Chinese celebrate a lot of festivals, but one of the biggest other than the Chinese Lunar New Year is the Chinese Moon festival. On this day people not only gather together but they also have certain customs that give this festival a traditional feel.
One of the most important things for them to do is eat moon cakes under the moon…after all the festival is about the Moon! They also put pomelo rinds on their heads and carry bright lanterns. No Chinese tradition is complete without burning incense, incense sticks are burned and respect is given to the deity of Chang’e.
Since it is also the Harvest festival, some people, mostly farmers will plant mid-autumn trees. Dandelion leaves are collected and distributed among family members. And lets not forget the colorful fire dragon dances on streets.
What better way to celebrate a festival than with color and food…and if you want to learn to celebrate the Chinese way, find your way to a Chinese family’s home on the Chinese Moon festival day.
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