The youth would pray to Goddess Chang’e to help fulfil their romantic wishes. (Pic Credits: )Ĭhinese traditionally choose the Mid-Autumn festival period as an occasion to find partners and to celebrate marriages. Soybeans and cockscomb flowers are offered to the Jade Rabbit. Incense is also burned in reverence to the family deities.Ī clay statue of the Jade Rabbit (an animal that in Chinese folklore lived on the moon and accompanied Chang’e) is usually one of the first decorations purchased for this celebration table. (Pic Credits: )įood offerings like apples, pears, peaches, grapes are made to the lunar deity Chang’e by placing them on a special altar set up in the courtyard. Cassia wine is the traditional choice for the ‘reunion wine’ drunk on this festive occasion. Other foods eaten during the festival are harvest foods such as crabs, pumpkins, pomeloes, and grapes. See Also: Croatia- A Mediterranean FantasyLand Turned Reality Mooncakes can be around a few centimetres in diameter, and its surface is pressed with designs of the Moon Goddess Chang’e, cassia trees, or the Moon-Palace.
In some areas, the mooncakes are done during the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and then the senior person in that household would cut the mooncakes into pieces and distribute them to each family member. The Chinese believe that the roundness of mooncakes are a symbol of reunion and happiness. Making and sharing them among friends and family members is one of the hallmark traditions of this festival. (Pic Credits: )Ĭhinese Mooncakes are a traditional pastry that are a must-eat Mid-Autumn food. These games relate to flights of the soul, spirit possession, or fortune telling.ĭelicacies Chinese Mooncakes. In the Guangdong Province, for example, traditional games are played among men, women, and children on or around the Mid-Autumn day. Some of China’s ethnic minorities have exotic practices and customs of sacrifice and worship to the moon. The Mid-Autumn Festivities are held in a big way in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. Public celebration activities include Dragon and Lion dance performances, lantern shows and guessing lantern riddles. Outdoor reunions are organized among friends and relatives and many cultural or regional customs are celebrated. If the weather is favourable, they then choose to go out into their courtyards or to a park to gaze at the moon. After dinner, the family traditionally offer sacrifices to the moon. Usually, three generations of Chinese families get together on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival and eat dinner along with their extended family at the grandparents’ home. Here’s a look at different aspects of the Mid-Autumn Festival of China which is considered the second most important festival in China after the Chinese New Year.Ĭelebrations Mid-Autumn Festivities. Praying – asking for conceptual or material satisfaction. Thanksgiving – to give thanks for the harvest, or for harmonious unions, and Gathering – of family and friends coming together, or harvesting crops for the festival, The Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival as it is also called falls on September 24 this year. The Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates three fundamental concepts that are closely connected: Moon worship and moon gazing are an important part of the festival celebration.
#GAZING AT THE MOON MIDAUTUMN FESTIVAL FULL#
It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar with a full moon at night when it is said to be the brightest and roundest. The festival is also a time to enjoy the successful harvest of rice and wheat. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival celebrated by the Chinese for over 3,000 years in the worship of the moon. Full moon gazing from the family courtyard.
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