Why Do Chinese Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

In China, the Mid-Autumn festival symbolizes

the family reunion

and on this day, all families will appreciate the Moon in the evening, because it is the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest.

Why do we celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?

Marking the end of the autumn harvest, the Mid-Autumn Festival was traditionally

a time to give thanks to the gods

. It is also a time of year that the moon is at its brightest, which is why lunar legends have always been attached to the celebration.

Why do Chinese eat mooncakes on Mid-Autumn Festival?

The ancient Chinese observed that the movement of the moon is closely related to changes in season and agricultural production. They began the tradition out of thanks and celebration of the harvest. The roundness of mooncakes symbolizes

the reunion of families

as well as the full moon.

What is the legend behind the Mid-Autumn Festival?

The central legend associated with Mid-Autumn Festival concerns

the goddess Chang'e

. This tale tells of how, long ago, the Earth had 10 suns, the heat of which ravaged the world with a terrible drought. At the request of the Emperor of Heaven, the great archer Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns, saving life on Earth.

How does China celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?

The Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival. … The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival in China after Chinese New Year. Chinese people celebrate it by

gathering for dinners, worshiping the moon, lighting paper lanterns, eating mooncakes, etc.

What does the Mid-Autumn Festival symbolize?

The day of the Mid-autumn Festival is traditionally thought to be auspicious for

weddings

, as the moon goddess is believed to extend conjugal bliss to couples. The festival started more than 2,000 years ago as a post-autumn harvest celebration, which was devoted to thanking the gods.

What is the most famous festival in China?


Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the biggest Chinese festival both socially and economically. Its origin can be traced to the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC -1046 BC).

Does Starbucks have mooncakes?

While

Starbucks offers classic mooncake flavors

like sweet adzuki bean and lotus, it also put its own spin on the traditional dessert, with a chocolate hazelnut praline mooncake stuffed with a hazelnut lava filling and a caramel macchiato mooncake with a caramel center.

Why do Chinese eat mooncakes?

Mooncakes

Symbolize Family Reunion

In Chinese culture, roundness symbolizes completeness and togetherness. … At Mid-Autumn Festival people eat mooncakes together with family, or present mooncakes to relatives or friends, to express love and best wishes.

Why are mooncakes so expensive?

Since mooncakes are usually bought as gifts. You'll also notice that over the years, most of them are being sold in more and more fancy boxes with colourful and sometimes really extravagant packaging. The problem with this is that the

production costs will be higher

.

Why did Chang E take both immortality pills?

In some, her lover Houyi set aside immortality pills for them to be together forever, but

Chang'e nobly ingested them both to stop an enemy from stealing them

. … So when a grief-stricken teen named Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) builds a rocket to the moon, the curtain falls to reveal Chang'e, an unfathomably fabulous pop star.

What is Mid-Autumn Festival for Kids?

The festival is a time for families to bond together while consuming mooncakes, pomelos, and tea, while children often play with lanterns. The Mid-Autumn Festival is likely to have origins in ancient worship practices of the moon, and served as a

harvest festival

to express gratitude to the gods.

Why is the rabbit on the moon?

The Chinese, in particular, have represented

the moon as a rabbit pounding rice in a mortar

. The rabbit's association with the moon is partly explained by two stories. In one Buddha places him there as payment for a favor in which Rabbit voluntarily gave himself as food for one of Buddha's hungry friends.

Is Mid-Autumn Festival a public holiday in China?

China has 7 legal holidays in a year, including New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day.

What do you eat on Mid-Autumn Festival?

The most popular Mid-Autumn Festival foods include

mooncakes, pumpkin, river snails, taro, wine fermented with osmanthus flowers, duck and hairy crabs

.

What is the famous festivals in China?

The grandest and most popular festivals are the

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)

, the Lantern Festival, the Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-autumn Festival, etc.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.