Among the biggest holidays in China is the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said to have originated when early Chinese scholars recognized the moon’s relationship with climate, seasonal changes and agricultural successes from the previous year.
Due to the moon cycle’s connection with agriculture, the holiday is closely tied to autumn harvests, honoring hard work, sufficient rainfall and overall crop yields. Learn all the vocab and traditions to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
春节对中国人来说，是一年里最重要的节日。 (chūn jié duì zhōng guó rén lái shuō, shì yì nián lǐ zuì zhòng yào de jié rì.) To the Chinese, the Spring Festival is the most important festival of the year.
明天，他们要举行祭祀祖先的仪式。 (míng tiān, tā men yào jǔ xíng jì sì zǔ xiān de yí shì.) Tomorrow, they will be holding a ceremony to offer sacrifices to the ancestors.
他是研究中国文化的专家。 (tā shì yán jiū zhōng guó wén huà de zhuān jiā.) He’s an expert who studies Chinese culture.
Key Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions
Family Reunions
The most important part of the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival is the family reunion. They get together to enjoy the bright moon, holiday activities, special foods, songs and stories. It is believed that the moon is symbolic of family togetherness.
Mooncakes
Mooncakes are the official Mid-Autumn Festival holiday treat. They are round to reflect the shape of the moon, and their decorations and fillings range from simple to elaborate. The typical mooncake is made from wheat flour and stuffed with sugary fillings such as sweetened red bean paste, powdered lotus seeds,
Lanterns
Lanterns are illuminated for many different Chinese holidays, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is no exception. While lanterns do hold symbolic meanings, the primary reason behind lighting them up is because they’re beautiful, mimicking the moon’s brightness in the city streets.
Stories
Plenty of legends swirl around the holiday. In one historical tale, an ancient Chinese dynasty sends secret messages tucked away in mooncakes. Other fanciful stories abound, recounting the fateful actions of divine beings, charismatic animals, and journeys to the moon. These are told during family gatherings and public events.
Prayers and Sacrifices to the Moon Goddess
While there are many variations on this classic Mid-Autumn Festival story, here’s the main gist: the legendary hero Houyi performs a feat of heroic strength and a divine being gives him an elixir of immortality. In every version of this story, Houyi’s wife, Chang’e, ends up consuming the elixir herself and is shot off to the moon, where she dwells in a lunar palace to this day. Sacrifices and prayers made to the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival go straight to her doorstep.
The Chinese fascination with Chang’e has led the nation’s space program to name lunar rovers and other space travel devices after her. Meanwhile, in the USA, Houston officially requested that Buzz Aldrin watch out for her.
Places to Go for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
You can get in on the most action by visiting a lively urban area, or you can choose to soak up the cherished moonlight in a peaceful, rural town.
In China’s more populous cities, colored lanterns hang from every storefront and there are tons of public events to enjoy. Shanghai’s skyscrapers boast some of the most impressive Mid-Autumn Festival views. In Beijing, you can visit the Altar of the Moon, where long-ago Chinese emperors once made sacrifices to the moon. This site, along with the many temples and altars scattered throughout the city, offers a tranquil moon-viewing location. Parks, gardens, riverfront streets and bridges are some of the best places to explore during this festival.
If you prefer a rural location, join a quiet Chinese village on their ascent to a mountaintop where they observe the moon in even greater peace. You can also choose to hop on board a cruise ship or riverboat – the moon is said to be even more beautiful when reflected in the water, and you’ll get a nice vista of the lanterns burning on shore.
Travel to China, or visit a Chinese community in your area to see the fun, beautiful celebrations for yourself! Family gatherings, lanterns, mooncakes, moon-viewing parties, songs, poems, stories, and games are among the customs observed during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Of course, you have to remember that China is an extraordinarily diverse country. The many different ethnic groups residing there have their own, unique ways of celebrating the holiday. Explore and discover the many reasons why the Mid-Autumn Festival is so important to Chinese culture.
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