There are many unusual holidays in the world. The birthplace of many of them has become China with its centuries-old culture. Here you can attend the lanterns and dragon boat festivals, the celebrations of the Double Seven and Double Nine. One of the favorite among the people is the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is saturated with poetry, filled with joy and radiance of the magic moon.
When is the party celebrated?
If the Chinese New Year is worship of the sun, then Mid-Autumn is the time to worship the night luminary. The holiday is celebrated on the night of the 15th to the 16th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Usually this is the end of September or the beginning of October.
Mid-Autumn Festival in China is also called the Moon Festival. It is believed that she is on this day the largest, the most round and the most beautiful. The fullness of the luminary symbolizes several important values at once: fertility, the unity of a large family, beauty, success, love. And also - longing for the homeland or loved ones who were far away. A very beautiful legend is associated with the holiday. This is a romantic story about archer Hou Yi and his lover Chang'e.
Mid-Autumn Festival in China: a legend
In ancient times, there were 10 suns. They went to heaven in turn, but one day they ascended simultaneously. The heat from them almost destroyed everything on the planet, but the brave archer Hou Yi shot down 9 stars with arrows. The Empress of heaven has since favored him and has given him an elixir that grants immortality and heavenly life as a deity.
The archer had Chang'e's beloved wife, to whom he deposited a magic drink. When Hou Yi was absent, a bad man came to the house, who wanted to become immortal. He threatened Chang'e, and she was forced to drink the elixir herself so that he would not fall into bad hands. Immediately after this, the woman became a deity. She transferred to the moon, which is closest to Earth, and began to live there alone. Together with her there is only a jade hare, who in a mortar interprets the potion of immortality.
Chang'e is forced to yearn for her husband from afar. Howe also grieved, looking at the night luminary. One day the moon seemed especially close to him, he ran after it with all his might, but could not catch up. Then the yearning husband began in his garden to make offerings to his wife from her favorite dishes and incense. People who learned this sad story also sacrificed food to the goddess Chang'e and asked for her protection. So a holiday arose.
Moon Festival History
The first written mention of it dates back to the Zhou era. Their age is about three thousand years. In those days, rulers every year after harvesting sacrificed to the moon so that it would make the land fertile next year.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), commoners adopted the tradition of admiring the moon and making offerings to it. She took root. In the 10-13th centuries, when the Song Dynasty ruled, the holiday was celebrated widely, gradually overgrown with magnificent ceremonies and rituals. Starting from the 14th century, it began to be considered one of the main ones and remains so until now. How is Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated in China?
Lunar Gingerbread Cookies
On this day, all family members gather in the open night sky. The tables are set. Round fruits are exhibited on them: watermelons, melons, plums, grapes, apples, grapefruits, etc. The obligatory food for the Mid-Autumn Festival in China is moon cakes (yuebin). They are round, like a disk of a night luminary. They depict the goddess Chang'e, the frog into which, according to some legends, she turned into her palace, the moon hare, or simply beautiful patterns.
"Moon cakes" symbolize the well-being and happy reunion of the family. In anticipation of the celebration, they are sold in all shops and supermarkets. It is customary to give them to friends and acquaintances. After the ritual worship of the moon, the cakes are eaten.
How is Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated in China?
On this day, the streets of the cities are beautifully decorated. Everywhere lanterns burn, lights sparkle. An atmosphere of warmth, unity is created. Families try to get together for the holiday. Food is presented as gifts. Children are given moon bunnies. On the streets are festivals with songs, dances, theatrical performances. Everything is dedicated to the moon: they admire it, read poetry about it. Lanterns are launched in memory of the love of the goddess Chang'e and archer Hou I.
Particular attention is paid to the older generation. Elderly people are surrounded by attention and care. In villages, families spend the night in the fresh air, under a full moon. The tables are set. Relatives regale themselves, meditate on a bright star, look for the shadows of Changye and the moon hare on it. They recall those who are no longer in this world.
Traditions of celebration in different provinces
China is a large country with a large population. The traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival in China vary by location. Each province has its own legends, beliefs, and customs.
- In some places, a dragon dance is organized. Tourists can see it, for example, in Hong Kong. A burning dragon with incense sticks stuck into it sweeps through the streets of the city, winding in a fancy dance.
- In the Longyan County, they cut out the middle of the “moon cake”, which they give to the older generation of the family. This hints that there are secrets that young people do not need to know about because of their age.
- In Jiangsu Province, there is Wuxi County, where it is customary to burn incense "Duxiang" at the Moon Festival in the evening. A pot of aromatic resin is wrapped in silk, which depicts a night luminary.
- In Dongguan, single boys and girls burn incense under the moon, asking the spirits for help in finding love.
- In Hejian County, located in Hebei Province, rain on a holiday is considered a bad omen. It is called "bitter" because it predicts a tasteless crop.
Mid-Autumn Festival in China is a bright event. Tourists who visit it are immersed in a special atmosphere of warmth, poetry, joy. Participation in traditional holidays is the best way to get acquainted with the culture of a foreign country, to feel your involvement with local residents.