![]() People promoted many different activities to celebrate it, such as burning pagodas and performing the fire dragon dance. Popularity Peaked in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 – 1912)ĭuring the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD) and the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912 AD), the Mid-Autumn Festival was as popular as Chinese New Year. Messages to rebel against the Mongols were passed around in mooncakes.ĥ. The tradition of eating mooncakes during the festival began in the Yuan Dynasty (1279 – 1368), a dynasty ruled by the Mongols. Mooncakes Eaten from the Yuan Dynasty (1279 – 1368) From then on, sacrificing to the moon was very popular, and has become a custom ever since. In the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), the 15th day of the 8th lunar month was established as the "Mid-Autumn Festival". Became a Festival in the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) Later in the Tang Dynasty, not just the rich merchants and officials, but also the common citizens, began appreciating the moon together. The common citizens just prayed to the moon for a good harvest. Similar holidays are celebrated in Japan, Korea, and across many Southeast Asian regions. Music and dances were also indispensable. The Mid-Autumn Festival or the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival is a traditional festival celebrated in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Vietnam, as well as by overseas Chinese and Vietnamese people. They drank and appreciated the bright moon. In the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD), appreciating the moon became popular among the upper class.įollowing the emperors, rich merchants and officials held big parties in their courts. Many believe family members even far or close can share the same feeling by looking at the same moon.Appreciating the moon with family during the Mid-Autumn Festival has been popular in China for hundreds of years. The full moon is a symbol of wholeness, nostalgia, and the reunion of family. Rituals and traditions to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival Dragon dances are a common sight during Mid-Autumn Festival, especially in Tai Hang on Hong Kong Island (© Jonathan Chen via WikiCommons)ĭuring the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are lots of traditions and rituals that have been passed down for generations. The Baiyue (百越) ethnic peoples who lived in South China and Vietnam during the first centuries BC and AD believed a dragon appeared during the eighth lunar month, bringing rain to help their crops grow and better their lives. When he returned to his palace, he wrote a song to commemorate it, the famous Tang song titled “ Melody of White Feathers Garment”. There, Li Longji was captivated by a song played by the fairies. There are other legends that are associated with Mooncake Festival, such as the story about Tang Emperor Li Longji (李隆基) appreciating the moon so much that he flew to the moon to visit the moon palace. Offerings would be made to the moon to bless women with a healthy pregnancy. In ancient Chinese times, people also believed this time of the year was linked with rebirth. Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States that people celebrate every fourth Thursday of November when families gather to eat good food. One version of the legend describes how Chang’e drank the eternal life-giving medicine and flew to the moon in the hopes of escaping her husband and corrupt ruler, Hou Yi (后羿). The Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival is a harvest festival in China that happens every 15th of the 8th month of the lunar calendar when the moon is at its brightest and fullest. The festival became an official holiday in the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 AD). During this time, it’s also believed the mooncake was invented. During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), moon appreciation and jovial celebration was popularly adopted among the Chinese upper class, later spreading observance of the festival to the lower classes. Moon worship is evident in historical records going back as far as the Zhou Dynasty (510–314 BC). The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history going back 3000 years. ![]() With similarities to Thanksgiving celebration in western countries and one of the most important holidays in Hong Kong along with Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Lantern Festival, Moon Festival, and Mooncake Festival. In those times, people prayed to the moon for an abundant harvest and general blessings. The largest full moon of the year was associated with the autumn harvest season in ancient China. Mid-Autumn Festival ( 中秋節, jong chau jit in Cantonese or zhōngqiū jié in Mandarin) is when Chinese people appreciate the full moon when it’s at its biggest and brightest phase on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which is 10 September 2022 this year. How did Mid-Autumn Festival originate? What is Mid-Autumn Festival? Chinese lanterns in fortuitous colours and bearing lucky characters like ‘blessing’ at a Mid-Autumn Festival market (© CharlieTong via Canva)
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