The Story of the Mid-Autumn Festival

This past Friday was the Mid-Autumn Festival!  This is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the origin story behind it and the wonderful traditions that are shared.  Here is the story behind this famous Chinese holiday!

Origin:

There once were ten suns in the sky.  The ten suns overpowered the earth and many plants, animals, and people were dying.  However, one day, skilled archer Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns. As a recognition of his bravery and skill, the Jade Emperor awarded Hou Yi with an elixir that gave the person who drank it immortality.  Many people learned of this elixir of immortality that Hou Yi had received and, one day, someone tried to steal the potion and take it for themselves. Although Hou Yi was not home, his wife Chang’e was and she drank the elixir to prevent someone from stealing it.  When she drank the potion, she began to fly to the moon. Sad that he would never see his wife again, Hou Yi began worshipping the moon. It is said that to this day that Chang’e still lives on the moon. She is reunited with her husband every year on the 15^th day of the 8^th month on the lunar calendar.   

Traditions:

While there are many traditions to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival, perhaps the most famous is eating moon cake.  These circle-shaped pastries are usually filled with nuts or fruit. Another tradition is getting together with family and sharing a meal.  Getting together with family is of the utmost importance regarding this holiday. In fact, the Mid-Autumn festival is considered the equivalent of Thanksgiving in the United States.  

Mid-Autumn Festival Elsewhere:

China is actually not the only country that celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival.  In Vietnam, the Mid-Autumn Festival is called “children’s day” and is filed with paper lanterns and lion dances.  In South Korea, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a day recognized to sweep the tombs of ancestors and get together with family.  Korea has its own traditional food to celebrate the holiday as well. It is called sponge cake and is in the shape of a half-moon.  It is often filled with bean paste. In Japan, people watch the moon and eat “dango,” which are sticky rice balls.

Hopefully, you learned a little about the Mid-Autumn Festival.  中秋节快乐！Until next time, 再见！  

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/what-is-mid-autumn-festival/index.html

https://www.chinatravel.com/focus/mid-autumn-festival/traditions/

https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/mid-autumn-festival-story.htm