The Moon Festival
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Transcript The Moon Festival
The
Moon
Festival
The Moon Festival
The Moon Festival (“Zhong Qiu
Jie”——中秋节), is also known
as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is
celebrated on the 15th day of the
8th month of the lunar calendar.
On the evening of the Moon
Festival, the moon is at its largest
and brightest.
The full moon symbolizes
abundance, harmony and luck.
What is the Moon Festival about
3 main reasons for celebrating the Moon
Festival
Gathering: Family members and loved come
together and enjoy the full moon. Those who
can not return home watch the bright
moonlight and feel deep longing for their loved
ones.
Thanksgiving: A chance to be thankful for
family and friends and the year’s harvest.
Praying: Prayers for good fortune and
romance.
Celebrating the Moon Festival
Today, festivities
centered around the
Moon Festival are more
varied. After a family
reunion dinner, many
people like to go out to
attend special
performances in parks
and public squares.
Celebrating in China
People in different parts of
China have different ways of
celebrating the Moon Festival.
In Guangzhou (Southern
China), a huge lantern show is a
big attraction for local citizens.
Thousands of various shaped
lanterns are lit, forming a
fantastic contrast with the
bright moonlight.
Watching Flood Tide
In East China's Zhejiang
Province, crowds gather to
watch the flood tide of the
Qian-tang River during the
Mid-Autumn Festival
The flood tide that forms at
the narrow mouth of the
Qian-tang river is
particularly impressive.
This spectacle not only
attracts locals but also
those from other parts of
the country.
Story of Eating Moon Cake at the Festival
In the 14th century, the eating of moon cakes at
Mid-Autumn Festival was given a new
significance.
Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the
Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians
The rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn
moon-cakes.
Mid-Autumn Festival is hence also a
commemoration of the overthrow of the
Mongolians by the Han people.
About the Moon Cake
Moon Cakes are synonymous with the
Moon Festival
They come in various flavours, shapes
and sizes. Usually they measuring three
inches in diameter and one and a half
inches in thickness.
The main ingredients are: melon
seeds, lotus seeds, almonds, minced
meats, bean paste, orange peels.
Some fillings include a golden yolk
from a salted duck egg in the center
About the Moon Cake
Chinese characters stamped on top of the moon cake
indicate the name of the bakery and the type of
filling.
Traditionally, thirteen moon cakes were piled in a
pyramid to symbolize the thirteen moons of a
“complete year”, that is, twelve moons plus one
intercalary moon.
Nowadays, they are usually presented in boxes of four
which indicate the four phases of the moon.
What Else to Eat at the Festival
This day is also considered a harvest festival since fruits, vegetables
and grain had been harvested.
Food offerings are placed on an altar set up in the courtyard. Fruits
offered may include:
apples, pears, peaches, grapes,
pomegranates melons, oranges
and pomelos.
Special foods inclulde cooked taro
and water caltrop, a type of water
chestnut resembling black buffalo horns.
Taro holds a special significance because at the time of creation,
taro was the first food discovered at night in the moonlight.
Celebrating in Other Countries
The Moon Festival is also celebrated in
Korea
Japan
Vietnam.
Moon Festival in Korea
In Korea, it is called “Ch’usok”.
A 3-day holiday where families return to their hometown to thank
their ancestors for the good harvest.
Various folk games are played which vary region to region.
Traditional foods include:
Songpyeon (half moon shaped
rice cakes in various flavors)
Hangwa (An artistic food decorated
with natural colors made with
rice flour, honey, fruit, and roots)
In Japan
In Japan, it is called Tsukimi or otsumiki (moon viewing).
It is a quieter celebration and this tradition was introduced by the
Chinese over 1000 years ago.
Also holds the meaning of celebrating the autumn harvest.
The celebration includes eating rice
dumplings called "tsukimi dango.”
As an offering to the moon, dumplings
and taro potatoes placed in an alter.
In Vietnam
In Vietnam, it is called “Tet Trung-Thu”.
Emphasis on celebration of children.
Children join parades holding lanterns and wearing masks.
Lanterns signify a wish for the sun’s light and warmth to
return.
Special foods include: cakes and fruits elaborately prepared
as food displays.
The Moon Festival is one of the most
widespread and popular holidays
The Moon Festival is a celebration of
harvest, abundance and family unity.
It is one of the most widespread and
popular holidays after the New Year.
So get ready to eat mooncakes, rice
cakes, dance and make paper
lanterns
Let's celebrate!