Mid-Autumn Festival: Mooncake time
The Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival, 中秋节/中秋節 (Zhōngqiū Jié) in Chinese, is one of the most important traditional holidays in Chinese culture. It has been celebrated for over 3000 years and is a time to give thanks for the harvest and pray for good fortune. It's also the perfect opportunity for family reunions, moon gazing, and of course, eating mooncakes. Let's dive into what makes this festival so special!
When is Mid-Autumn Festival?
In 2024, it will be celebrated on the 17th of September. It always falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, which usually happens in September or early October. That's when the moon is supposedly its fullest and brightest. It's also closely tied to the harvest season, so it's a time to reflect on the year's gains.
Mid-Autumn Festival always falls on a full moon (Source)
The story of Mid-Autumn Festival
One of the most famous legends associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival is the story of Cháng'é (嫦娥), the moon goddess. There are many different versions of the story, but here is one of the most popular ones.
A long long time ago, there were ten suns. They usually showed up one by one, but one day they all decided to come out at the same time. That was a bit too much for the earth to handle, so rivers dried up, crops withered, and life became unbearable for the people.
Luckily, there was an archer called Hòu Yì (后羿). He took his bow and arrows, climbed to the highest peak, and shot down nine of the suns, leaving the one we know today to provide warmth and light.
Hòu Yì shooting down suns with his bow and arrow
This feat made Hòu Yì a hero, and he was rewarded by the Jade Emperor with an elixir of immortality. However, Hòu Yì didn't want to live forever without his beloved wife, Cháng'é. So he hid the elixir at home and wanted to live a normal life with her.
Unfortunately, his apprentice knew of the hidden elixir and tried to steal it. One day, while Hòu Yì was away hunting, the apprentice broke into their home and demanded the elixir from Cháng'é. Knowing she couldn't fight him off, Cháng'é drank the elixir herself to keep it out of his hands. Now an immortal, Cháng'é flew off into the sky, eventually landing on the moon, where she has lived ever since.
Hòu Yì has to watch as Cháng'é ascends to the moon (Source)
Heartbroken by the loss of his wife, Hòu Yì started offering her favorite foods and fruits on the night of the full moon.
Mooncakes: The star of the festival
No Mid-Autumn Festival celebration is complete without mooncakes (月饼/月餅, yuèbǐng). In fact, they are so important that the festival is often called the Mooncake Festival.
A mooncake with lotus seed filling (Source)
Mooncakes come in a variety of flavors, from traditional ones filled with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk to more modern versions filled with chocolate or ice cream. While they can be pretty dense and rich, eating mooncakes is more about sharing. Families often cut them into small wedges so everyone can have a taste.
Mooncakes are also a popular gift for business clients, leading to a big market for high-end mooncakes (for ridiculous prices).
A luxury mooncake gift set by a top hotel in Singapore (Source)
How to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
Similar to other traditional Chinese holidays, like Chinese New Year and Tomb-Sweeping Day, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family, food, and tradition.
Family Gatherings
The Mid-Autumn Festival is all about spending time with loved ones. Families will have a big meal together (especially barbeque in Taiwan), enjoy mooncakes, and admire the moon. People believe that the moon on this night is the brightest of the year.
Praying to Cháng'é
Besides being the namesake of the Chinese Lunar Expliration Program, Cháng'é is also a symbol of love and romance. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, young women pray to her for luck in love.
Another quite funny custom in Taiwan is to wear a pomelo peel hat. Cháng'é likes children wearing a hat made of her favorite fruit and will bless them with good luck.
I'm sure it also works for dogs (Source)
Closing thoughts
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a major Chinese festival. If you are in a Chinese-speaking country during this time, you will see mooncakes everywhere. Otherwise, you might still be able to find them in Chinese supermarkets near you.
So try some mooncakes, look up at the moon, and maybe you will see Cháng'é waving back at you!
Until next time!
