The Mid-Autumn Festival: A Celebration of Reunion and Gratitude

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Its origins can be traced back to ancient moon worship practices. Records in the "Rites of Zhou" mention "welcoming the cold" on the mid-autumn night. By the Tang Dynasty, it had become an established festival, and it evolved through the Song and Ming Dynasties into a major celebration, now comparable in importance to the Chinese New Year.

The famous legend associated with the festival is "Chang'e Flying to the Moon." The story tells of the archer Hou Yi, who obtained an elixir of immortality. To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, his wife Chang'e consumed it and flew to the moon. People, moved by her sacrifice, began making offerings to the moon on the night of the full moon, expressing their longing for her. This poignant tale imbues the moon with a romantic aura, while other legends like the Jade Rabbit pounding medicine and Wu Gang cutting the cassia tree further enrich the moon's mystical imagery.

The festival's core traditions revolve around the theme of reunion:

Moon Appreciation and Offerings: Families set up altars in their courtyards with mooncakes and seasonal fruits, gazing at the bright full moon to express reverence for nature and blessings for loved ones.

Sharing Mooncakes: The round shape of mooncakes symbolizes family reunion. Different regions have developed distinct styles, such as Cantonese and Suzhou varieties, with fillings ranging from traditional five-nut to modern molten lava, showcasing culinary artistry.

Lanterns and Activities: Children carry lanterns shaped like rabbits or lotuses through the streets. Southern regions preserve customs like lighting pagoda lanterns and fire dragon dances.

The festival embodies the Chinese people's cherished wish for "roundness of the moon and reunion of families." Under the brilliant moonlight, no matter where they are, people gaze at the same moon, savoring the sentiment of Su Shi's verse, "We wish each other a long life so as to share the beauty of this graceful moonlight, even though miles apart," transmitting deep affection for family and homeland through the moon's glow.