Chinese traditional festival - Mid-Autumn Festival
September 13, 2024
Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four traditional festivals in China. Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, Moonlight Festival, Moon Festival, Autumn Festival, Mid Autumn Festival, Moon Worship Festival, Moon Mother's Day, Moon Festival, Reunion Festival and so on, is a traditional Chinese folk festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the moon on autumn eve in ancient times. At first, the festival was held on the 24th solar term of the Ganzhi calendar, the autumnal equinox. Later, it was moved to the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. In some places, the Mid-Autumn Festival was set on the 16th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Since ancient times, Mid-Autumn Festival has had such folk customs as offering sacrifices to the moon, appreciating the moon, eating moon cakes, playing with lanterns, appreciating osmanthus flowers, drinking osmanthus wine, and so on. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times, popularized in the Han Dynasty, shaped in the early Tang Dynasty, and became popular after the Song Dynasty. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a combination of seasonal customs in autumn. Most of the festival customs included in it have ancient origins. The Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes the reunion of people with the full moon. It is a rich, colorful and precious cultural heritage in order to cherish the memory of home and family members and pray for fertility and happiness. Traditional custom 1. Eating mooncakes: Eating mooncakes on Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most widespread customs. Mooncakes come in various flavors and fillings, such as lotus seed paste, bean paste, and five nuts. Different regions and ethnic groups also have different flavors of mooncakes. 2. Watching the Moon: Watching the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a very important traditional custom. People will gather with relatives and friends on this evening to appreciate the bright moon and feel the beauty of reunion. 3. Flower Lantern: Another important custom of Mid-Autumn Festival is flower lantern. People will make or purchase various lanterns to decorate their homes, and organize lantern parades and competitions. 4. Sending Acacia from a Thousand Miles: Mid-Autumn Festival also has a romantic custom, that is, sending Acacia from a Thousand Miles. Lovers will give gifts to each other, such as moon cakes, lanterns, roses, etc., to express their thoughts and blessings on each other.
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