Happy Mid-Autumn Festival 2016!

China’s Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on 15th of 8th month, ofChina’s lunar calendar (in September or October).

For many Chinese, it is still the second most important festival after Chinese New Year, and it means family reunion and peace. The festival is celebrated when the moon is believed to be the biggest and fullest. To the Chinese, a full moon is a symbol of prosperity, happiness, and family reunion.

History and Legend

In the ancient past, there was a hero named Hou Yi who was excellent at archery. His wife was Chang'e. One year, the ten suns rose in the sky together, causing great disaster to people. Yi shot down nine of the suns and left only one to provide light.

An immortal admired Yi and sent him the elixir of immortality. Yi did not want to leave Chang'e and be immortal without her, so he let Chang'e keep the elixir. But Chang'e took the elixir and flied to the Moon, becoming an immortal fairy lady. The Moon will get the fullest on August 5th in Lunar Calendar in each year.

Customs of Mid-autumn Festival

Eating Moon cakes

A moon cake is a traditional Chinese pastry. It is made from wheat flour and sweet stuffing, such as sugar and lotus seed powder. It’s a symbol of family reunion, and the cake is traditionally cut into pieces that equal the number of people in the family.

Eating moon cakes is the most common and representative tradition of the day. In ordinary times, people won’t buy or eat moon cakes but during the Mid-Autumn Festival everyone will have a moon cake to celebrate.

Appreciating the Moon

In Chinese beliefs, the full moon is the symbol for a family reunion. Many famous ancient poets wrote poems about the moon and expressed their homesickness. When people look at the moon, it reminds them of their families and homeland..

Nowadays, people still like appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival inChina. Chinese family members have dinner together in the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival. After dinner, they may talk about their work, the children, and their future plans.

Making Colorful Lanterns

Making colorful lanterns is a happy activity between families and children. The lanterns have different shapes and can also resemble animals, plants, or flowers.

Children love making colorful lanterns in different shapes to be hung in trees or houses, or floated on rivers.

They also make Kongming lanterns, which can fly because the burning candles heat the air in the lantern. Children write good wishes on the lanterns and let them fly up into the sky.