3 Mid-Autumn Festival Fun Facts
5 Mins Read
Mid-Autumn Festival also known as the Moon Festival is a traditional festival celebrated in many Asian cultures with a history dating back to the Zhou Dynasty. Yes, over 3,000 years ago! It happens on the 8th full Moon day (15th of each month) of the lunar calendar each year, usually around September to October time. The day after the Mid-Autumn festival is a public holiday in Hong Kong to allow people to rest after celebrations in the evening. Like many western festivals such as Thanksgiving or Holiday Season, Autumn Festival is also a time when many Asian culture families gather together and are thankful for the things they have achieved so far. In the old days, it was a time when farmers celebrate their harvests. Like lunar new Year, there are also a few traditions that people today still follow. In this blog post, we are going to explore some Mid-Autumn festival fun facts.
1. The History
Many Ancient Chinese emperors believe in astrology and worshipped the moon. The festival didn’t exist at that time but the act of worshiping the moon started in Zhou Dynasty (1045 - 221 BC) when emperors offer food to the moon as a thankful gesture for their previous year's harvest as well as to hope for a rich harvest in the following year. These traditions carry on and become popular throughout the years and have officially become a festival during the Dong Dynasty (960- 1279 BC).
Today, many Asian families still celebrate the mid-autumn festival together as a time for a family reunion. Mooncake is one of the most popular foods for the mid-autumn festival. Traditionally, it is made of lotus seed paste in a round shape and filled with a couple of salted duck egg yolks in honor of the full moon. Today, there is various kind of mooncake recipes to suit different people's needs.
2. The Myth
The Legend of the Moon Festival is a love story of Chang’e AND Hou Yi in ancient times. It was believed there were 10 suns on the sky at that time (Can you imagine if there were ten suns above us now?). Chang’e husband Hou Yi is a talented archer and to save people from the heat, he shot down 9 of them with his arrow and became a hero. To recognize his work, the remaining sun gave him an elixir of immortality. Both Chang’e and Hou Yi didn’t want to take it as the portion is only enough for one person. Unfortunately, one day to save the elixir from being stolen, Chang’e has no choice but to take the elixir herself. She then flew up to the moon and became one of the goddesses. Hou yi missed his wife and decided to offer food to the moon in exchange to see the shape of Chang’e on the moon. In honor of the hero, residents of the village started worshiping the moon with foods and handmade desserts in moon shapes aka mooncakes.
“If I am honest, I have to tell you I still read fairy tales and I like them best of all.” Audrey Hepburn. The mid-Autumn festival is believed to be the day when the moon is closest to earth. Would you try looking up to the moon and see if you can see Chang’e yourself?
3. The Celebrations
Mid-Autumn Festival in the modern age is more about family union where people celebrate with big meals, enjoy some mooncakes and cherish the moon together. Some families would pick this day to go for an evening picnic and cherish the moon.
The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is a popular activity in celebration of this festival and it has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong.
If you have lived in Hong Kong for some time, you have probably seen red lanterns hanging around during Lunar New Year or during some big festival celebrations. Cherishing the beauty of lanterns is also a traditional activity during Mid-Autumn Festival and it is not just limited to the traditional red lanterns that are believed to bring good luck to people but also lanterns in different shapes and colours. Specifically, the shape of a rabbit and the shape of a dragonfruit are the most popular lanterns during this festival. Traditionally, lanterns with riddles were hanging in the night markets for people to puzzle, an activity that is similar to trivia nights today. Here is a riddle for you to puzzle in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Enjoy!
Riddle: When people take off their coats, it puts on coats; when people take off their hats, it puts on hats. (Hints: Homeware)
[Riddle Source: SCMP Young Post] Click the source link for more Riddles and for the answers.
Thank you for being an appreciative reader as always. Here are a few fun facts about Mid-Autumn Festivals. No matter how you celebrate on that day, remember that it is about spending quality time with people you care about, being thankful for what you have, and counting your blessings. We wish you a very Happy Autumn Festival. If you enjoy learning about Hong Kong cultures, read also Explore Unique Hong Kong Cultural Experience Through Art. If you enjoyed reading this blog post, please share it with your family and friends. Thank you and we will be sharing with you stories of craftsmanship, and culture again very soon. Until then, take care.
Source: Wikipedia
September 2020
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