Chang’E loved her husband and hoped to live nearby, so she chose the moon for her residence. Instead, she swallowed it and flew into the sky. So, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, when Yi went hunting, Peng Meng broke into Yi’s house and forced Chang’E to give the elixir to him. But Peng Meng, one of his apprentices, knew this secret. Yi did not want to leave Chang’E and be immortal without her, so he let Chang’E keep the elixir. Yi shot down nine of the suns and left only one to provide light.Īn immortal admired Yi and sent him the elixir of immortality. One year, the ten suns rose in the sky together, causing great disaster to people. “In the ancient past, there was a hero named Hou Yi who was excellent at archery. There are a few versions sharing with you the romantic version that I extracted from the Wikipedia. For more details, check out the China Travel Guide SiteĪ Chinese folklore about Chang’E, the Moon Goddess of Immortality, explains the origin of the moon worship on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar. To express their thanks to the moon and celebrate the harvest, they offered sacrifice to the moon on autumn days. The ancient Chinese observed that the movement of the moon had a close relationship with changes of the seasons and agricultural production. So what is the significance of Mid-Autumn Festival? Mid-Autumn Festival is a custom of moon sacrificial ceremonies, expressing thanks to the moon for the good harvest. I always look forward to Mid-Autumn Festival as it is a double celebration for me. The day I was born, my siblings did not get to celebrate the festival as my mother was in the hospital and my dad was there with her. Though there is no day off in Singapore, as an ethnic Chinese family, we too celebrate the festival. Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant day to me as my Lunar Birthday falls on this day. In Singapore, Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as Lantern Festival. The 15th Day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar is also a major festival in Korea and Vietnam. People in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan enjoy a day off. It is the second grandest festival after the Spring Festival in China. During the festival, it is common for the Chinese to give moon cakes to their relatives and friends as presents, expressing their love and kind regards.įull of joy and happiness, students gather together to delight in eating moon cakes, grapes or other fresh fruits, appreciating the spectacular beauty of the full moon, and greeting each other with “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!”Īt this time, some may remember the ancient legend of Chang’e, a lady who was an immortal and stayed in a palace on the moon, with an immortal hare keeping her company.Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar and this year it falls on the September 15th. Many may receive moon cakes sent from their family: the stuffing inside the saccharine pastries varies from pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, crystal sugar, egg yolk, bean paste, lotus seed, peanuts, almonds, fresh pork, to many other delicacies. On campus, students who are far from home may gather together sitting in the dormitory, by the Peiyang Lake, on the Peiyang Square, or taking a walk on the stadium. The traditional food for mid-autumn festival is the moon cake which is round and symbolizes reunion. This year the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 15 by the Western calendar. This lively festival takes place on the 15th day of the 8th Chinese lunar month every year. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important annual festivals for the Chinese people and is an official holiday.
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