Apart from Chinese New Year celebrations, ethnic Chinese have some unique and interesting celebrations or festivals. One of the festive festivals that exist within the Chinese ethnicity is the Moon Cake Festival. This festival is usually celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Chinese calendar. Celebration of the Moon Cake Festival itself is called the Zhong Qiu Festival [中秋节] or in English it is called the Mid Autumn Festival. In celebrating this festival, the unique thing about the celebration is identical to the special food, namely Moon Cake (“Yue Bing [月饼]”). In the countries of the Northern Hemisphere (including mainland China) there are 4 seasons, namely Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The Full Moon on the night of mid-Autumn is the brightest and roundest Full Moon so every mid-Autumn is celebrated as the Zhong Qiu Festival which means Mid-Autumn Festival.
On Zhong Qiu’s Full Moon Night, everyone who looks up at the sky looking at the bright and round full moon will feel a longing for his family, especially for people who have migrated to other areas, his longing for family becomes stronger so that he hopes to be with his family. Hence, Zhong Qiu Night was also called the Reunion Festival [团圆节].
In ancient times, China already had a tradition of praying for the Moon Goddess and up to the Zhou Dynasty, every mid-Autumn (Zhong Qiu) must have prayed the moon by offering large incense, moon cakes, watermelons, apples, grapes and others.
It is said that in the State of Qi there is an ugly woman named “Wu Yan [无 盐]”. As a child, he often prayed sincerely to the Moon Goddess, when he grew up, Wu Yan managed to enter the Palace and became the King’s concubine, but was not favored by the King. Once upon a time on the 8th month of the 15th of the Chinese calendar, the King and his concubines were enjoying the beauty of the Full Moon. Under the light of the Full Moon, King Qi suddenly felt Wu Yan’s beauty and then raised her to become Empress.
According to the belief of the Chinese community from ancient times, that on the Moon there was a Beautiful Goddess named Chang’e [嫦娥], girls prayed to the Moon Goddess Chang’e so that they would get beauty like Dewi Chang’e.
In the Tang Dynasty, enjoying the beauty of the Full Moon in Mid-Autumn was very popular. Up to the Northern Song Dynasty, the entire population of the capital took part in celebrating the Zhong Qiu Festival no matter whether the people were rich or poor, old or child, all prayed that the Moon Goddess would bless him and give him happiness. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Moon Cakes were used as gifts and kept in touch at the Zhong Qiu Festival. Arriving in the Qing Dynasty, the Zhong Qiu Festival became even more lively and varied, with several celebratory activities such as Bringing Lanterns, Fire Dragon Dance, lighting the Lamp Pagoda and releasing the Kongming lamps.
Today, the Zhong Qiu Festival Celebration Tradition, such as gathering with family, enjoying the beauty of the Full Moon, carrying lanterns, lighting up the Pelita Pagoda, praying for the Moon Goddess and releasing the Kongming Lamp into the sky is still being continued. Hopefully this article useful for you.
