![]() ![]() From then on, sacrificing to the moon was very popular, and has become a custom ever since. In the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), the 15th day of the 8th lunar month was established as the "Mid-Autumn Festival". Became a Festival in the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) Later in the Tang Dynasty, not just the rich merchants and officials, but also the common citizens, began appreciating the moon together. The common citizens just prayed to the moon for a good harvest. Music and dances were also indispensable. They drank and appreciated the bright moon. In the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD), appreciating the moon became popular among the upper class.įollowing the emperors, rich merchants and officials held big parties in their courts. When the people observed his gifts, they followed suit and worshipped with him.Appreciating the moon with family during the Mid-Autumn Festival has been popular in China for hundreds of years. When Yi returned and heard of what had happened, he grieved and offered fruits in devotion to his wife. Flying into the sky with her new immortal powers, she chose the moon as her home. A subordinate of his, Peng Meng, learnt of the elixir and tried to force Chang’e to give it to him, but she swallowed it instead. But Yi did not want immortality without his wife to join him, so he kept the elixir in his home. His heroic actions were seen by one of the immortals, who chose to give Yi an elixir for immortality. Yi shot down nine of the suns with his arrows, leaving one remaining for light and warmth. ![]() Chang’e was the wife of a famed archer Hou Yi, and they livedat a time long ago when the Earth was plagued by ten suns. The legend behind the festival is also a sad and beautiful one. Always on a full moon, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls this year on September, 24. The Mid-Autumn Festival is set to be the 15th day of the eighth month. The specific day is determined by the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It was held to celebrate their harvest and all their hard work in the last days of the season before the changing of the weather. While mooncakes make the Mid-Autumn Festival a special one in Chinese culture, the festival itself was always an importantone to the Chinese ancestors. In whatever way they are made, they are delicious, and always a welcome gift. As a cake, they are usually individually proportioned at approximately four inches each in diameter, but some chefs in China will attempt extremely large mooncakes to commemorate the holiday. One such favorite is mooncakes baked with a salted duck egg yolk in the center, again symbolizing the moon. They come with a sweet paste filling inside, often red bean or lotus seed paste, although many other varieties of the filling, such as black or white sesame seed, are also available. One (a day) is usually enough to satisfy the craving for this yearly treat. Mooncakes are round like the moon, stamped in elaborate decorations, and rich with egg yolk in the recipe. Families share the delicious confection with each other to celebrate the holiday with joy as they honor the good fortune of the harvest season. Often baked and packaged lavishly, the mooncakes are meant as gifts. Why? Because this is the time of year when the mooncakes are produced. But ask any Chinese person about the festival, and they will tell you it’s all about the mooncakes. In many parts of Asia, there are children’s lantern parades, and lion dances. It is celebrated extravagantly with big dinners and family reunions. It involves the tragically romantic story of Chang’e, the moon goddess and her mortal husband Hou Yi. The Harvest Moon Festival, commonly referred to as the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节), is a celebration rich in Chinese lore. ![]()
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