The Mid Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节Zhōngqiūjié) is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. Since people consider the full moon as the symbol of reunion and satisfaction, the festival is also called the Festival for Reunion. The Mid-Autumn Festival of 2012 falls on September 30th. Traditionally on this day, family members and friends will gather together and enjoy pomelos and mooncakes while admiring the bright harvest moon. The mooncake has sweet and salty flavors with meat, egg yolk or vegetable fillings. It is also carved with decorative patterns and words.  Brightly lit lanterns are often carried around by children. In some parts of the country, people also send airborne paper lanterns to the sky and pray that their wishes written on the lantern will come true. Riddles are written on pieces of paper and posted on lanterns or walls. Any one solving the riddle is awarded a prize. You may also see people burning incense and performing fire dragon dances.

Legend about the Mid-Autumn Festival

The story of Chang E and her flight to the moon is familiar to every Chinese. Although there are many variations of the story, the main characters involved are Hou Yi, the Archer, Chang E, the Goddess of the moon, and the Jade Rabbit. In ancient times, there were ten suns circling together burning the earth. The Emperor of China commanded Houyi to shoot down nine suns and leave only one in the sky.  Houyi completed the task and was rewarded a pill that granted eternal life. Houyi took the pill home and gave it to his wife, Chang E. Chang E hid it in a treasure box at her table when, unexpectedly , it was seen by Peng Meng.  One day when Houyi was not home, Peng Meng held the sword at hand and forced Chang E
to hand over the pill. Knowing that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng, Chang E swallowed the pill and realized that she could fly. She couldn’t help but fly straight to the sky. 

When Hou Yi returned home in the evening, he knew from the maidservants what had happened. Houyi pursued Chang E halfway across the heavens but was forced to return to the earth due to strong winds. Chang E missed her husband very much so she chose to stay in the moon, the nearest place to the earth. She commanded the jade rabbit that lived on the moon to make another pill so that she would be able to return to the Earth. Whenever Hou Yi looked up into the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife, he found that the moon was especially clear and bright. There was a swaying shadow on the moon as if his wife is looking down on him in the sky.