Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese: 中秋節; Simplified Chinese: 中秋节; pinyin: Zh?ngqi?jié; Vietnamese Tết Trung Thu ???; Korean: Ch'us?k or Chuseok ??/??; also known as the Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival, or the August Moon Festival) is a popular Chinese celebration of abundance and togetherness, dating back over 3,000 years to China's Zhou Dynasty.

Related Topics:
Chinese - Simplified Chinese - Pinyin - Vietnamese - Korean - Chuseok - China - Zhou Dynasty

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The Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar (usually around mid- or late-September in the Gregorian Calendar), a date that parallels the Autumn Equinox of the solar calendar. (The name August Moon, commonly used for the mid-autumn festival, comes from the fact that it occurs in the 8th month of the lunar calendar—the festival does not occur during the month of August on the Gregorian Calendar). At this time, the moon is at its fullest and brightest, marking an ideal time to celebrate the abundance of the summer's harvest, and reminding many of the lore of Chang E ({{zh-cp|c=??|p=Cháng'é}}), the mythical Moon Goddess of Immortality. The traditional food of this festival is the moon cake, of which there are many different varieties.

Related Topics:
Lunar month - Chinese calendar - September - Gregorian Calendar - Autumn - Equinox - Solar calendar - Lore - Chang E - Immortality - Moon cake

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The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar (the other being the Chinese Lunar New Year), and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomeloes together. Brightly lit lanterns are often carried around by children. Together with the celebration, there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers, and fire dragon dances. Shops selling mooncakes, before the festival, often display pictures of Chang Er, floating to the moon.

Related Topics:
Chinese Lunar New Year - Pomelo - Dragon dance

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