Do you know that Oct. 1st, 2020 is the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节Zhōngqiū jié)? Since it is celebrated on the full moon day, the 15th day of the 8th month according to Chinese lunar calendar, it’s also called Moon Festival.
This is the 2nd most important traditional Chinese festival after Chinese New Year. For more than 3000 years, people worship moon as the symbol of harmony and unity and celebrate the bountiful harvest that the great mother nature offers to life.
Traditional Festival Activities
Moon watching(赏月/ shǎng yuè) : the myths of Chang’e flying to the moon tells a story of how a beloved wife became the Moon Goddess of Immortality and was separated eternally from her husband. It is believed on this day, the moon is the brightest and roundest of a year. As a custom, relatives and friends get together for an outdoor reunion, watching moon, burning incense to Chang’e who will bring blessings to marriage and romantic relations;
Floating Sky Lanterns(点灯笼/Diǎn dēnglóng), also called prayer lanterns, are lightened up and sent to the sky, carrying our good wishes and lighting our way to prosperity and good luck;
(Watch cartoon Emmy & GooRoo: Tears of the Moon, to see how friends together make sky lanterns).
Eating Mooncakes (月饼Yuèbǐng), a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean or lotus-seed paste in round form, is the most symbolic program of this festival. In Chinese culture, the full circle or round form stands for ” fulfilled”, “oneness”, “unity”. Sharing a round moon cake among families and friends under a fullest moon since carries its highest wish for harmony.
Top 1 Moon Festival Greeting
May we all be blessed with longevity and serenity
但愿人长久(Dàn yuàn rén chángjiǔ)
Though far apart, we will share the beauty of the moon
千里共婵娟 (qiānlǐ gòng chánjuān)
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