About Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节, One Of China’s Four Traditional Festivals
From ancient times to the present, a bright moon has always entrusted us with a more beautiful feeling. It is also an image engraved in the cultural DNA of Chinese people.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four major traditional festivals in China.
Four Major Traditional Festivals in China (中国四大传统节日):
- Spring Festival (春节 ; chūn jié),
- Qingming Festival (清明节 ; qīng míng jié),
- Dragon Boat Festival (端午节 ; duān wǔ jié), and
- Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 ; zhōng qiū jié).
Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节, also known as the Moon Festival (祭月节), Moonlight Festival (月光诞), Mid-Autumn Festival (仲秋节), Autumn Night (秋夕), Reunion Festival (团圆节), etc.
Mid-Autumn Festival Date
On the 15th day of the eighth month of the 农历 (Lunisolar) calendar every year, usually from early September to early October in the Gregorian calendar.
Mid-Autumn Festival Origin
There are three main views:
a. The first is the worship of the moon that originated in ancient times.
b. The second is to worship the moon goddess Chang’e.
c. The third is the activity of ancient people to worship the land god in autumn to celebrate the harvest. However, these statements only explain the origin of some customs of the festival, but cannot explain the origin of this festival.
Mid-Autumn Festival Development
It became an officially recognized national festival in the Tang dynasty and became popular in the Song dynasty.
Mid-Autumn Festival Meaning
The Mid-Autumn Festival uses the round moon as a sign of reunion with family, as a way to express feelings of longing for hometown and relatives, and to pray for a good harvest and happiness.
Mid-Autumn Festival Traditional Customs
Worshiping the moon (祭月/拜月)
Moon sacrifice is a very ancient custom in China. It is an activity of worshiping the “Moon God” by the ancients. In ancient times, there was a custom of “Autumn Dusk and Evening Moon 秋暮夕月”.
In the evening, people would worship the moon god. Since ancient times, people in some areas of Guangdong have had the custom of worshiping the moon god (worshiping the moon goddess and worshiping moonlight) on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
To worship the moon, set up a large incense table and place mooncakes, watermelons, apples, dates, plums, grapes, and other sacrifices.
Under the moon, the “Moon God” tablet is placed in the direction of the moon, with red candles burning high, and the whole family worships the moon in turn and prays for blessings.
Sacrificing the moon, appreciating the moon, and remembering the moon express people’s best wishes. Moon worship is one of the important rituals of the Mid-Autumn Festival and has been going on since ancient times.
Moon appreciation (赏月)
Moon appreciation originated from moon worship, and serious sacrifices turned into leisurely entertainment. Drinking and partying to admire the moon have been practiced since ancient times. Written records were recorded in the Wei and Jin dynasties, but it became a custom and became popular in the Tang dynasty.
Chasing the Moon (追月)
The meaning of “chasing the moon” means that after the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the excitement is still not over, so the next night many people invite relatives and friends to continue admiring the moon, which is called “chasing the moon”.
Guessing riddles (猜谜)
On the full moon night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, many lanterns are hung in public places. People gather to guess the riddles written on the lanterns.
Because this is a favorite activity of most young men and women and love stories are also spread in this activity, guessing lantern riddles during the Mid-Autumn Festival is also passed down as a manifestation of love between men and women.
Staying up all night (通宵天晓)
It can be said that there was no curfew all night during the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Song dynasty.
According to folklore, the later you sleep on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the longer you live. Therefore, some people take advantage of this to pray for longevity.
What To Eat On Mid-Autumn Festival?
Eat mooncakes (吃月饼)
Mooncakes, also called reunion cakes (丰收饼), are a tribute to the moon god during the Mid-Autumn Festival in ancient times.
Mooncakes were originally used as offerings to worship the moon god. Later, people gradually regarded admiring the moon and eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival as a symbol of family reunion.
Mooncakes symbolize reunion, and have become a festive food, and can also be given to relatives and friends.
Nowadays, eating mooncakes has become a must-do custom during the Mid-Autumn Festival throughout northern and southern China. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people eat mooncakes to express “reunion”.
Eat sweet potatoes (吃甜薯)
Sweet potatoes are a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival food. It is customary in some places to enjoy sweet potatoes during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Admiring osmanthus flowers and drinking osmanthus wine (赏桂花、饮桂花酒)
People often eat mooncakes to enjoy sweet-scented osmanthus during the Mid-Autumn Festival and eat various foods made from sweet-scented osmanthus, the most common of which are pastries and candies.
What To Play In Mid-Autumn Festival?
Play Luzi (耍禄仔)
This is a children’s game. Flowers are carved from grapefruit peel, and lanterns can be hung in the middle. Children play in groups or carry lanterns in the shape of various animals and fruits while walking along the street while singing “Playing Luge 耍禄歌”: “Playing Luzi, playing Luer, lighting the lamp (耍禄仔，耍禄儿，点明灯)”
Playing with lanterns (玩花灯)
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the three major lantern festivals in China. Playing lanterns is usually done with family and children.
Playing with the Rabbit Master (玩兔爷)
This is a custom in the northern region.
The custom of playing Rabbit on the Mid-Autumn Festival began around the end of the Ming dynasty.
“Rabbit Master” is a figure with the head and body of a rabbit, wearing armor and a flag on his back, sitting or standing, hitting a pestle, or riding an animal, with two big ears erect.
Originally, “Rabbit Lord” was used to worship the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the Qing dynasty, “Rabbit” gradually became a children’s Mid-Autumn Festival toy.
Walking on the moon (行月)
The Dong people in Guangxi have the custom of “walking on the moon”. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Lusheng singing and dancing troupes from each village walk under the moonlight to the nearest village, where they gather with the villagers to admire the moon, compete in singing and dancing, and rejoice all night long.