The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar
month, usually in October in Gregorian calendar. It will fall on
September 14, 2008.?
The festival has a long history. In ancient China, emperors
followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and
to the moon in autumn. Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had
the word "Mid-Autumn". Later aristocrats and literary figures
helped expand the ceremony to common people. They enjoyed the full,
bright moon on that day, worshipped it and expressed their thoughts
and feelings under it. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the
Mid-Autumn Festival had been fixed, which became even grander in
the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing
(1644-1911) dynasties, it grew to be a major festival of China.
Folklore about the origin of the festival go like this: In
remote antiquity, there were ten suns rising in the sky, which
scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named
Hou Yi was much worried about this, he ascended to the top of the
Kunlun Mountain and, directing his superhuman strength to full
extent, drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine
superfluous suns one after another. He also ordered the last sun to
rise and set according to time. For this reason, he was respected
and loved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity
came to him to learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng
Meng lurked in them.
Hou Yi had a beautiful and kindhearted wife named Chang E. One
day on his way to the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends, he ran
upon the Empress of Heaven Wangmu who was passing by. Empress
Wangmu presented to him a parcel of elixir, by taking which, it was
said, one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial
being. Hou Yi, however, hated to part with his wife. So he gave the
elixir to Chang E to treasure for the time being. Chang E hid the
parcel in a treasure box at her dressing table when, unexpectedly,
it was seen by Peng Meng.
One day when Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting, Peng Meng,
sword in hand, rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to
hand over the elixir. Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng
Meng, Chang E made a prompt decision at that critical moment. She
turned round to open her treasure box, took up the elixir and
swallowed it in one gulp. As soon as she swallowed the elixir her
body floated off the ground, dashed out of the window and flew
towards heaven. Peng Meng escaped.
When Hou Yi returned home at dark, he knew from the maidservants
what had happened. Overcome with grief, Hou Yi looked up into the
night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife when, to his
surprise, he found that the moon was especially clear and bight and
on it there was a swaying shadow that was exactly like his wife. He
tried his best to chase after the moon. But as he ran, the moon
retreated; as he withdrew, the moon came back. He could not get to
the moon at all.
Thinking of his wife day and night, Hou Yi then had an incense
table arranged in the back garden that Chang E loved. Putting on
the table sweetmeats and fresh fruits Chang E enjoyed most, Hou Yi
held at a distance a memorial ceremony for Chang E who was
sentimentally attached to him in the palace of the moon.
When people heard of the story that Chang E had turned into a
celestial being, they arranged the incense table in the moonlight
one after another and prayed kindhearted Chang E for good fortune
and peace. From then on the custom of worshiping the moon spread
among the people.
People in different places follow various customs, but all show
their love and longing for a better life. Today people will enjoy
the full moon and eat moon cakes on that day.
The moon looks extremely round, big and bright on the 15th day
of each lunar month. People selected the August 15 to celebrate
because it is a season when crops and fruits are all ripe and
weather pleasant. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, all family members or
friends meet outside, putting food on tables and looking up at the
sky while talking about life. How splendid a moment it is!
(China.org.cn)
