In the Orient it is the moon that rules, with special occasions plotted
on the lunar calendar. Thus the Mid-Autumn Festival
falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon. For 2015 this translates to
September 27 or 28 in the solar or western calendar.
An assortment of moon cakes laid out prettily. |
An important part of the festival celebration is moon worship.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Mooncake Festival. For
millions of Chinese across Asia and around the world the Mid-Autumn Festival is a big deal and
second only to Chinese
Lunar New Year celebrations.
Houyi helplessly
looking at his wife Chang'e
flying off to the moon after she drank the elixir.
|
Throughout the continent, it is a lavish celebration for all households
and typically runs all week long with dancing, feasting and moon gazing.
Events include the releasing of sky lanterns, dragon dancing and the
age old tradition of eating lots and lots of moon cakes.
There are literally hundreds
of varieties found throughout the world and modern moon cakes can have rich
fillings like black truffle, caviar and foie gras or can be stuffed with fun
ingredients like Oreo crumbs and ice cream.
Traditions and myths surrounding the festival are formed around celebrating
these three fundamental concepts:
·
Gathering - family and friends coming together
or harvesting crops for the festival
·
Thanksgiving - to give thanks for the harvest, a
bountiful year, or harmonious unions
·
Praying - asking for conceptual or material
satisfaction [such as babies, a spouse, beauty, longevity, a good future,
etc.]
Offerings are also made to the popular lunar deity Chang'e known as the
Moon Goddess of Immortality. The myths associated with Chang'e explain the
origin of moon worship with one version of the story described in Lihui
Yang's Handbook of Chinese Mythology:
Chang'e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality |
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