Time: August the 15th according to the lunar calendar
Mid-Autumn Festival is the 15th day of the eighth in Chinese lunar month. On the night of the festival, looking at the bright full-moon, people stay far away from home miss their families very much. It is a festival on which families should stay together.
Mid-Autumn Festival Legend - Change Flying to the Moon
According to legend, the lady Cheng'e is the wife of Hou Yi (a hero shot 9 needless suns down on the peak of Mount Kunlun in ancient China). They love each other very much. One day, when Hou Yi went to Mount Kunlun to meet friends, he met the Queen of Heaven who gave him an elixir of life to praise his heroic undertaking. It was said that only half of the elixir could make a person live forever and the whole could make a person become an immortal instantly. Hou Yi did not want to leave his wife alone, so he did not eat it and gave it to Chang'e to safeguard. However unfortunately, this thing was known by Peng Meng, a very treacherous man.
Treacherous Peng Meng wanted to get the elixir of life, so one day after Hou Yi went out, he broke into Hou Yi's House and threatened Chang'e to hand over the elixir of life. Since could not protect the elixir of life, at the critical juncture, she swallowed it. Immediately, she flew up out of the window and toward to the sky.
Hou Yi came back at night and got the bad news. He was heart-broken and shouted to the sky. He surprisingly discovered the moon was extremely bright and clear at that night and saw a swaying figure exactly like Chang'e. He rushed home and put an incense table in the back garden with fresh fruits and moon cakes which were the faviort food of his wife. Locals heard that Chang'e flew to the sky and became the immortal on the moon, then they all arranged incense tables praying for happiness and safeness. Since then, worship to the moon during Mid-autumn Day has become popular till now.
Customs of Mid-Autumn Festival
Eating Moon Cake
Eating moon cakes while appreciating the full moon is the main part and the most popular custom of the mid-autumn festival. The name of moon cake first appeared in the Southern Song Dynasty, during that period, the moon cakes were served as sacrifice to the Moon. Nowadays, moon cakes represent people's wishes to be together, family get together eating, sharing the love to each other.
Appreciate the Full Moon
Appreciating the full moon at the night of mid-autumn festival is the ancient tradition since Zhou Dynasty. At first, people held ceremonies and appreciating the full moon praying for happiness and good harvests. As time goes by, people appreciating the moon on the festival hope families to be together and health. While looking at the bright moon, scholars usually say some beautiful poems.
Passed down from generation to generation, Mid-Autumn Festival now conveys love to families and friends in China.