For those who aren’t able to be with their friends and family during the festival they instead send celebration messages to their loved ones to show they are thinking of them. In Chinese culture, the moon symbolizes togetherness, hence why it’s tradition to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by having a big feast with friends or family. One of the most commonly implemented traditions during the Mid-Autumn Festival is worshipping the moon, which is especially popular amongst the older generation. Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions and Customs It wasn’t long before others caught wind of this ritual and started to make sacrifices to Chang’e themselves, solidifying the annual tradition of worshipping Chang’e and – by extension – the moon in Chinese custom. It is said that her husband, heartbroken from her departure, would make offerings to his wife every year there onwards on August 15. Legend goes that after secretly stealing and drinking her husband’s immortality elixir, she flees, floating up to the moon where she would remain for the rest of eternity. Chang’e is the Chinese goddess of the moon. There are many versions to this story but we will tell only one of them, which includes aspects from numerous versions of the well-known legend. The central legend associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival is that of Chang-e. Since that very first recorded Mid-Autumn Festival, it has become tradition to give offerings to the moon. Though the Chinese have been recorded worshipping and appreciating the moon since 1047BC, it would be another 1,700 years before the Mid-Autumn Festival would be established, during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1279AD). During the Tang dynasty (618 – 907AD), the upper class would hold big parties whereupon they would join together and appreciate the moon in droves. After seeing the Emperors worshipping the moon annually, the custom became popular amongst the masses and only grew with time. Ancient Chinese Emperors would worship the moon every Mid-Autumn, believing it would bring them a plentiful harvest the following year. The Mid-Autumn Festival has thousands of years of history behind it with the earliest form of moon gazing dating back over 3,000 years ago during the Zhou dynasty (1045 – 221BC). The History and Origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival Scroll on to learn more about the many and varied Mid-Autumn Festival activities and traditions, from feasting on mooncakes to reuniting with family. With over 3,000 years of history, the traditions and culture of the Mid-Autumn Festival are nothing short of substantial. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar and is celebrated all over Mainland China as well as in Taiwan and Hong Kong, with differing styles of celebration depending on location. The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节), also known as Lantern Festival, Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a holiday that is all about the appreciation of the moon. From paper lanterns and mooncakes to the Legend of Chang’e, learn everything you need to know about Mid-Autumn Festival traditions and activities in this guide.
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