5/30/2023 0 Comments Mid autumn festival![]() Over the years, the Chinese people came up with new ways to celebrate the holiday, and as a result each region now has adapted their own customs.įor example, the people of Hong Kong celebrate with dazzling performance of the Fire Dragon Dance, along with drums and a ton of incense, on the streets of Hong Kong.ĭespite the varying customs, the three main fundamental concepts of the festival are the same: giving thanks for the harvest, celebrate the reunion of family, and praying for things such as longevity and good fortune. The Mid-Autumn Festival is said to have originated from the Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago and was popularised in the Song Dynasty.īy Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was already a widely celebrated holiday across China.Įven to this day, it’s still celebrated by all and recognised globally as an indispensable part of Chinese culture. Rituals include giving children a paper figure to wish them success in life and lighting lanterns, which are sometimes anime-themed.On the lunar calendar, the holiday falls on the 15 th day of the 8 th month, right in the middle of the fall season, hence the name Mid-Autumn. Vietnamese people observe Tết Trung Thu on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, again to show gratitude to the moon for a healthy harvest. ![]() Koreans also celebrate the mid-autumn harvest festival called Chuseok on the same day, when people return to their hometown to provide offerings such as rice cake and wine on their ancestors’ graves. Many believe family members even far or close can share the same feeling by looking at the same moon.ĭango rice dumplings are eaten during Tsukimi, the moon festival in Japan (© chikaphotograph via Canva) The full moon is a symbol of wholeness, nostalgia, and the reunion of family. Rituals and traditions to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival Dragon dances are a common sight during Mid-Autumn Festival, especially in Tai Hang on Hong Kong Island (© Jonathan Chen via WikiCommons)ĭuring the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are lots of traditions and rituals that have been passed down for generations. The Baiyue (百越) ethnic peoples who lived in South China and Vietnam during the first centuries BC and AD believed a dragon appeared during the eighth lunar month, bringing rain to help their crops grow and better their lives. When he returned to his palace, he wrote a song to commemorate it, the famous Tang song titled “ Melody of White Feathers Garment”. There, Li Longji was captivated by a song played by the fairies. There are other legends that are associated with Mooncake Festival, such as the story about Tang Emperor Li Longji (李隆基) appreciating the moon so much that he flew to the moon to visit the moon palace. Offerings would be made to the moon to bless women with a healthy pregnancy. In ancient Chinese times, people also believed this time of the year was linked with rebirth. One version of the legend describes how Chang’e drank the eternal life-giving medicine and flew to the moon in the hopes of escaping her husband and corrupt ruler, Hou Yi (后羿). The legend of the moon goddess, Chang’e (嫦娥), is the most popular origin story associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival became an official holiday in the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 AD). During this time, it’s also believed the mooncake was invented. During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), moon appreciation and jovial celebration was popularly adopted among the Chinese upper class, later spreading observance of the festival to the lower classes. Moon worship is evident in historical records going back as far as the Zhou Dynasty (510–314 BC). ![]() The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history going back 3000 years. With similarities to Thanksgiving celebration in western countries and one of the most important holidays in Hong Kong along with Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Lantern Festival, Moon Festival, and Mooncake Festival. In those times, people prayed to the moon for an abundant harvest and general blessings. The largest full moon of the year was associated with the autumn harvest season in ancient China. Mid-Autumn Festival ( 中秋節, jong chau jit in Cantonese or zhōngqiū jié in Mandarin) is when Chinese people appreciate the full moon when it’s at its biggest and brightest phase on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which is 10 September 2022 this year. How did Mid-Autumn Festival originate? What is Mid-Autumn Festival? Chinese lanterns in fortuitous colours and bearing lucky characters like ‘blessing’ at a Mid-Autumn Festival market (© CharlieTong via Canva)
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