Chinese people usually have a 3-day holiday for the festival. Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images. People believed that the moon governed all important events, and also they wanted to give gifts to memorialize the goddess of the moon — 嫦娥 Chang’e, who flew to the moon to save humans. Copied. Mid-Autumn Festival,中秋节 (Zhōng Qiū Jié) as it’s known in China, is the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar. Some villages in Hong Kong still preserve the tradition of. Mooncakes are typically round, symbolizing the full round moon of the mid-autumn festival. Although some customs are carried over from ancient times, other traditions don’t survive. It was originally a harvest festival, when families would gather together and appreciate the “团圆 (tuán yuán)”, also known as “reunion”. In general, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a chance for families to spend time together, although there are certain traditions. Today, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated to mark the end of the harvest season, while giving thanks for the gifts of family unity and togetherness. It's time to hang a lantern, rip open a mooncake and peel a pomelo -- Mid-Autumn Festival is here. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. For example, ancient Chinese people would put a table outside their homes and would put mooncakes, fruits, and candles as sacrifices to the moon. Most are filled with lotus paste and salted egg yolk while others contain red bean or date paste, as well as fruit, nuts and seeds. Japanese, meanwhile will eat grilled sticky rice balls called tsukimi dango ("moon viewing") while admiring the astronomical body. When people look at the moon, it reminds them of their family. 02:53 Various celebrations are taking place across China and abroad to celebrate this year's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. Understanding festivals is an important part of learning a language- to know the culture and the importance of festivals gives context to the language. If you want to discover more facts about Chinese festivals, visit us at Lingo Bus! Mooncakes: Full of flavor -- and calories. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Nuts, red beans and custards are some other popular ingredients. Also known as the Moon Festival and Harvest Moon Festival, the ritual is celebrated mainly in Chinese and Vietnamese communities. Today, the Mid-Autumn Festival is an incredibly important family gathering -- it's when "people and the moon reunite to form a full circle," as an old saying goes. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Your email address will not be published. Many believe the fete was first mentioned in the "Book of Rites," a Confucius classic on bureaucracy and rituals written more than 2,400 years ago. Mid-Autumn Festival,中秋节 (Zhōng Qiū Jié) as it’s known in China, is the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar. These festivals tend to occur on the same day or around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Therefore, this year, Chinese people will have an 8-day holiday, the second-longest holiday after Spring Festival. Missing his wife, Hou Yi prepared a feast every year on the day when the moon is at its fullest, hoping to get a glimpse of his wife's shadow. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Falling on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is when families gather to. In Northern China, mooncakes are usually made with egg yolks, are sweet, and are filled with sweet bean or lotus seed paste. Moon worship has always been an important part of Chinese culture, and there are a number of different myths surrounding the festival's genesis. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all, World's best food festivals: 14 places for the true foodie to go eat, China's spacecraft, Chang'e 1, 2, 3 and 4, Lunar New Year 2019: How to usher in the Year of the Pig. However, families across the world observe the holiday by gathering for dinners. Each year, it falls in either September or October on the solar calendar. Chinese festivals usually stem from myths and have profound meanings. It was described as a day for emperors to celebrate the year's harvest by giving offerings to the moon and hosting a great feast. One of the most beloved -- and tragic -- pieces of folklore tells the story of how Chang'e became the moon goddess. For this year's festival, Guinness even released its own flavour. When it comes to the festival, customs vary throughout Asia. Besides buying mooncakes, the occasion is also marked in artistic ways. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. The most common kind of mooncake is made of lotus seed paste, salted egg yolk and lard -- which explains why a palm-sized cake can contain about 1,000 calories. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Yutu (Jade Rabbit) -- China's moon rover -- was named after the legendary rabbit that was sent to accompany Chang'e to the moon. It is now a very similar occasion to the Thanksgiving holiday in Western culture. While it has no fixed date on the calendar, it traditionally falls on the 15th day of the eighth month – a full moon day. When darkness falls, locals place candles inside the lanterns and hang them outside. Meanwhile, in southern China, most people will light a lantern and eat autumn fruits such as pomelo and starfruit. You can also find mooncakes in flavours like green tea and chocolate. Mooncakes come in all sorts of shapes and flavors. The tradition of mooncakes can be traced back to the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279 BC), even though, the moon cakes were not round at that time. Your email address will not be published. The festival has been celebrated since the early Tang dynasty (618–907).One of the most common ways to celebrate is by eating mooncakes, although they typically have around 800 calories a cake. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Also known as the Moon Festival and Harvest Moon Festival, the ritual is celebrated mainly in Chinese and Vietnamese communities. In the south of China, though, people may prefer mooncakes with savory fillings. Read more Why you should visit Hanoi for Mid-Autumn festival Chinese Culture| What is the difference between Chinese and Western Dr... Learning resources| Five Chinese kids’ books you can’t miss! In 2019, the event --- celebrated primarily in East and Southeast Asia -- falls on September 13. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Another interesting Mid-Autumn Festival custom is hanging up lanterns, made from bamboo and with various designs, such as birds, dragons, and flowers. People launch Kongming lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The taste of mooncakes varies, region by region, as Chinese in different regions have different preferences. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mR3Kr1tWRY, Culture| How Chinese Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival？. Children especially enjoy this part of the festival, as they can make their own traditional lanterns. The people back then saw that the movement of the moon had something to do with the seasonal changes and agricultural production. Major brands, such as Starbucks and Häagen-Dazs will even launch mooncakes to cater to the Chinese market. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Mooncake Festival. The Festival has a long history as well as special importance in China. In South Korea, the mid-Autumn Festival is a three-day holiday, a time to sweep ancestors' tombs and wear traditional attire. In recent years, big brands have taken to creating specially designed mooncakes. In 2020, though, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 1st of October, which is the same day as Chinese National Day and the beginning of the Golden Week. In modern days, the Chinese honor ancient traditions but also have developed some new ways to celebrate this meaningful festival. Bakery brands have also come up with modern variations -- ice cream coated in chocolate, for example -- that offer an alternative to those who aren't fond of traditional mooncakes. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/what-is-mid-autumn-festival/index.html Like many cultural celebrations, the Mid-Autumn Festival is shrouded in myth. Today is a big day for East Asian communities with families gathering for dinner, lighting lanterns and eating mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Tai Hang fire dragon dance is performed in Hong Kong. By Li Qiong Share . To mark the holiday, Google created an autumnal Doodle featuring tea, mooncakes and the reflection of a full moon. The calorie-packed pastry is sliced up and shared like a cake between families and friends. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated by presenting traditional tea culture. One of the most common ways to celebrate is by eating mooncakes. The Mid-Autumn Festival is widely celebrated around Asia. Also, tourist attractions and transportation have returned to normal in China, so the coming holiday will be a travel peak. Required fields are marked *. It is said that the higher the lanterns are hung, the luckier the family will be. Each year, it falls in either September or October on the solar calendar. The Mid-Autumn Festival is considered "children's day" in Vietnam and celebrations include paper lantern fairs and lion dance parades.