The Mid-Autumn Festival which is also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture and that's why it is celebrated in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. And similar festivals also occurs in various East Asian countries.
It is also called as the Harvest Moon Festival as it celebrates the end of the Autumn harvest and is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar according to the Chinese calendar which means this year it falls on 10th September.
The festival, marks the end of the autumn harvest, which occurs during the middle of autumn when the moon is at its fullest. During this festival the moon is worshipped as a way to thank the moon for a good harvest.
| Event | Mid-Autumn Festival |
|---|---|
| Date | September 10, 2022 |
| Day | Saturday |
| Significance | The festival celebrates the end of the Autumn harvest |
| Observed by | China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. |
Mid-Autumn Festival History:
The history of the Mid-Autumn Festival in China dates back to over 3,000 years. As the Chinese have celebrated the harvest during the autumn full moon since the Shang dynasty between 1600–1046 BCE. The term mid-autumn for this event was first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Zhou dynasty between 1046–771 BCE in which it was mentioned that Zhou dynasty royal family used to offer sacrifices to the Moon Goddess. As for the royal court, it was dedicated to the goddess Taiyinxingjun. This is still true for followers of Taoism and Chinese folk religion.
But the celebration of this festival only started to gain popularity during the early Tang dynasty between 618–907 CE. One legend even states that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang dynasty started to hold formal celebrations in his palace after having explored the Moon-Palace by himself.
Then after taking inspirations from the royal class of China, merchants and commoners also started to hold nightly celebrations in honor of the moon with dancing, wine-drinking and merriment around 600 A.D. and this this tradition became widely popular among the people of China.
Whereas in the Northern Song Dynasty, the Mid Autumn Festival had become a very popular folk festival, and so they officially designated the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar as the Mid Autumn Festival and till today this date assignment is only followed.
However it was during the Ming and Qing empires of China starting from 1368 to the 20th Century when the Mid-Autumn Festival reached its peak and became a firm part of the Chinese culture and this it became the second most important festival for the Chinese culture only after the Chinese New Year.
Mid-Autumn Festival Significance:
An important part of the Mid-Autumn festival celebration is Moon worship. The ancient Chinese believed in renewal being associated with the Moon and water, and connected this concept to the menstruation of women, calling it "monthly water."
The Zhuang people of China, for example, have an ancient fable saying the Sun and Moon are a couple and the stars are their children, and when the Moon is pregnant, it becomes round, and then becomes crescent after giving birth to a child. These beliefs made it popular among women to worship and give offerings to the Moon on this evening while restricting men to do it. In some areas of China, there are still customs in which "men do not worship the moon and the women do not offer sacrifices to the god."
In China and in Chinese culture the Mid-Autumn festival symbolizes the family reunion and on this day, all families gathers together to appreciate the Moon in the evening, because it is the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest as it us considered as the best time to pay the respect to the moon for thanking of the good harvest.
In modern world though even though if people doesn't believe in the myth surrounding it but still celebrates this festival grandly as this festival is considered as an important part of the Chinese culture and that's why all the Chinese people of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan takes this festival very seriously and celebrates it with great enthusiasm and joy.
Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations:
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice, wheat and other crops with food offerings made in honor of the moon. Today, it popularly works as an occasion for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the Moon which represents a symbol of harmony and unity among the people.
A major part of celebrating the holiday is the carrying and decorating of brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, or floating sky lanterns. Another tradition involving lanterns is to write riddles on them and have other people try to guess the answers for these riddles which is a gun way of celebrating it.
And when we are talking about celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival then how can we leave behind delicious mooncakes which is now became an integral part associated with this festival. In Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes completeness and reunion. Thus, the sharing and eating of round mooncakes among family members during this day of the festival signifies the completeness and unity of family members.
And it's not just that mooncakes are the only one which are served and offered on the occassion of this festival but it is fully loaded with delicious Chinese cuisine. And one of the most popular drink of the festival is Cassia wine which is also referred as reunion wine for this day and you can understand now that this wine is shared by people celebrating the festival to each other.
The festival is celebrated with many cultural or regional customs across all of China, among them there are some rituals like burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e which is considered as the Moon Goddess is performed. Along with thse many different rituals are practiced across different regions.
On this day you will also observe the traditional dragon or lion dances being performed especially in the Southern China. And you will see many performances and events happening all over China and across the world by Chinese diaspora on this day which are all very fun and entertaining.
Most Searched FAQs on Mid-Autumn Festival:
1. When is Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated?
Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated annually on 15th day of the eight lunar month according to the Chinese calendar.
2. What do mooncakes symbolizes during Mid-Autumn Festival?
Mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes family reunion.
3. What are the other names of Mid-Autumn Festival?
Some of the other names of Mid-Autumn Festival includes Mooncake Festival or simply Moon Festival.