This year, the Mid-Autumn festival falls on September 24th. This is one of my favorite holidays because of the history, traditions, and moon cake!! Here is an overview of 中秋节:
History:
While there are many different legends to the origins of the Mid-Autumn festival, the most popular one is the story of Chang’e and Hou Yi. The legend begins with ten suns. There were once ten suns in the sky, and they made the Earth very hot! So, a skillful archer named Hou Yi shot down nine of them, leaving only one left. As a reward for his bravery, the Jade Emperor gave Hou Yi a potion that grant whoever drank it immortality. He took this potion back home and hid it with his wife Chang’e. When the villagers found out about the potion, they tried to steal it. To prevent this from happening, Chang’e drank the potion herself. This caused her to float up to the moon, leaving Hou Yi on Earth. It is said that during the Mid-Autumn festival, you can still see Chang’e in the moon.
Traditions:
There are many traditions used to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival. People usually are joined by their families and look up at the bright, full moon. In addition, people play with lanterns and eat moon cakes!
Moon Cakes:
Probably my favorite part about the Mid-Autumn Festival is the moon cakes! Moon cakes are Chinese pastries eaten on the day of the full moon. They are round, symbolizing the moon and the reunion of family. They come in many different flavors such as red bean and lotus!
I hope you enjoyed this article on the Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋节快乐! Until next time, 再见!
Sources:
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/mid-autumn.htm
Amazing article! I learned so much from this informative article. Personally, I think the story of Chang’e and Hou Yi is so interesting. It’s amazing that in the legend there was once ten suns in the sky, and a skillful archer named Hou Yi shot down nine of them, leaving only one left. I think that’s its insane for Chang’e drink the potion herself in order to prevent stealing of it. This caused her to float up to the moon, leaving Hou Yi on Earth. Next time, I eat mooncake, I’ll think about this legend!
I didn’t know that the Mid-Autumn Festival was only two days away. The legend of Chang’e and Hou Yi is very fascinating. It’s definitely interesting how Chang’e floated up to the moon. Lanterns and mooncakes are such a great way to celebrate the festival. The designs of the mooncakes look amazing.
Great article! This article has went more in depth about this topic then I ever learned. The story of Chang’e and Hou Yi is so interesting. It’s amazing that in the legend there was once ten suns in the sky, and a skillful archer named Hou Yi shot down nine of them, leaving only one left. I always wonder how they come up with these legends.
Can’t wait until this year’s Chinese Mid Autumn Festival, I have always had fun in the past and doing things like eating moon cake and drinking tea. It is always a fun time of the year.
Now I wish I celebrated this with more vigor. All these different traditions sound like they are lots of fun to celebrate! Although I do question how the Chinese managed to come up with all these fantastical legends. Especially considering how many exist. Also now I really want to learn some more Chinese legends. Guess I’ll have to wait until another Chinese holiday rolls around.
Wow, is the Mid-Autumn Festival really tomorrow? The Mid-Autumn Festival is such a great holiday for families to get together and celebrate. I also must agree that moon cakes are the best part. I learned that the moon cakes are round in shape to symbolize the moon and the reunion of family. Thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to read your next article, Jason!
i have always enjoyed the mid autumn festival and i cant believe its tomorrow! i cant wait! the best part of the festival is celebrating and meeting up with family members to have a wholesome dinner and MOON CAKES. the story behind this festival is extremely intriguing as well!
Great article! Being a part of a family that regularly celebrates major Chinese holidays, it’s always good to learn more about the dates and history of the holidays we celebrate. Knowing little past the regular eating of mooncake, it was interesting to read about the story of Chang’e and Hou Yi. The message of selflessness shared by the story is timeless – and still followed today. Tradition is truly both essential and an endearing feature of Chinese culture. I look forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival!
Interesting article! I have learned a lot about the history and customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival over the years, but I didn’t know that it was tomorrow! I’ve also heard many different versions of the legend before. I wonder how these legends are created and spread. I didn’t know that moon cakes are round to symbolize the reunion of family.
Excellent article! I like how you included the history of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and not just the traditions. Chinese mythology, like the mythology of other cultures, tends to be full of interesting stories of romance and conflict. In this example, it is a tragic romance story about a hero and his wife. I’m not really a fan of moon cakes, but I do like seeing lantern decorations.
Great article! This article has gone more in-depth about this topic than I ever learned. The story of Chang’s and Hou Yi is so interesting. It’s amazing that in the legend there was once ten suns in the sky, and a skillful archer named Hou Yi shot down nine of them, leaving only one left. I always wonder how they come up with these stories.
what an amazing article! I’ve learned so much from this information. It is very interesting reading about the history of the Mid-Autumn Festival and all the traditions many Chinese people do on this day. I also completely agreed that the best part of this day is the moon cakes because they’re really good.
Very well written article! I knew about the Mid-Autumn festival, but now I know even more. I always loved this festival. It is really fun and there is a lot of traditions, culture, and yummy food.
I love the Moon Festival! Honestly, eating moon cakes is one of the highlights of my year because my family only eats them around that time. I think mooncakes taste incredible! The lanterns are super pretty, and I would love trying to learn how to make one. There have been many variations of the legend of Chang’e, but the version here is the one that I learned about first! Thanks for sharing!
This article was very informative. I learned a lot of new things about the mid autumn festival which I had never known before. I also liked how the article was short and sweet as to not bore the reader. The illustrations also provided a good bit of color to the page. I also eaten mooncakes many times and they taste better each time.
Good article. I learned a lot about the moon festival. I did not know that in Chinese myths that there were 10 suns. I learned a few traditions like lighting lanterns. i also did enjoy the brief descriptions of the entire moon festival. I also learned that moon cakes were for symbolizing families. I did enjoy reading about the wife going to the moon.