Mid-Autumn Festival 2023 ： Date, Mooncakes & Reunion Customs
Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 25 this year. Learn its history, mooncake customs, hairy crab traditions, and the legend of Chang'e for a meaningful reunion.
The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 Zhōngqiū Jié) falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which is September 25th in this year!
中秋节 is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. In this post we will bring all the history, custom and culture of 中秋节 to you!
Why do we name it "中秋"?The origin of 中秋节 is from Chinese ancestors' worship towards the moon. They started to offer sacrifices to the moon on a certain day in autumn of each year. That's why Mid-autumn Festival is also called Moon Festival.From Tang Dynasty (618-907)，Lunar Calender's August 15th becomes a national festival which synthesizes all the autumn customs all over the country. The celebration helped spread many poems and legends. 中秋 started to frequently appear in the historical records at that time.中 (zhōng) means middle, and 秋 (qiū) means autumn. You might be curious, does 中秋 imply "the middle of the autumn" as it literally means?Yes! In the lunar calendar, every season is divided into 3 periods. The 3 periods of autumn correspond to the Lunar Calendar's July, August and September. Mid-Autumn Festival, which is August 15th of the Lunar Calendar, falls exactly in the middle of the middle month, 中秋 indeed it is, right?How do Chinese people celebrate 中秋？I hear you say "吃月饼"/eat mooncakes. Right! Eating mooncakes is one of the best-preserved customs of 中秋节, as the round shape of the mooncake embodies the cultural meaning of this festival - 团圆/reunion.Nowadays, topics about various mooncakes prevail greatly on the internet during 中秋节 every year. Today's moon cake industry is very competitive. Not only the emergence of new moon cake flavors, such as rose flavor, coffee flavor, and matcha flavor, but also the unique design of the gift box. Eating a mooncake is no longer just tasting a dessert, but also a beautiful cultural experience.Launching mooncakes has become an important yearly campaign even for some western brands such as PRADA, VERSACE, BURBERRY, etc.Besides 吃月饼, 中秋 is also the best time to gather family and friends to enjoy 大闸蟹 (dàzháxiè - Chinese Hairy Crab)! Especially for those of you who live in Suzhou and Shanghai, the hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake will surely be a delight for you during 中秋节!（Chinese Traditional tool set, 蟹八件, for eating crabs with grace)In addition to festive food, enjoying the full moon with loved ones is another household custom on the evening of 15th and 16th of August (Lunar Calendar).
A beautiful myth of 中秋节
While Chinese people were watching the full moon on the night of 中秋 for thousands of years, there was a myth passing on from generation to generation.
This story is so well-known that even China's first man-made satellite orbiting the moon was named after its protagonist - 嫦娥 (Cháng'é).
嫦娥奔月/Cháng'é bēn yuè/The Goddess Chang'e flies to the moonWhat is Chinese people celebrating 中秋 for?Now you might wonder, so in the end, what are these celebrations for?The significance actually is all implied by the shape of the full moon and the mooncakes. Round - 圆/yuán. In Chinese language, 圆 is the root of the words such as completeness and reunion👇For every Chinese person, 中秋 has become an ethical concept. The 中秋 reunion lying deep in their consciousness has been a sentiment and mindset for over a millennium.This affection was also interpreted by this verse that everyone likes to quote on 中秋节👇但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。Dàn yuàn rén chángjiǔ，qiān lǐ gòng chánjuān.May we all be blessed with the longevity though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.Watch Silk Mandarin students recite this famous 中秋 themed poem:"海上生明月，天涯共此时. - As the bright moon shines over the sea,from far away you share this moment with me." Even if we are not in the same city or the same country, we can still enjoy the warmth and joy of 中秋 together!We wish you to have a great holiday and enjoy the fullest moon with your beloved ones tonight!中秋节快乐！Zhōngqiū Jié Kuàilè！Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!(All the pictures are from the Internet)
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