Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhongqiu Jie in Chinese , is also called the Mooncake Festival or the Moon Festival.Mid Autumn Festival is a reunion time for families, a little like Thanksgiving.Chinese people celebrate it by gathering for dinners, worshiping the moon, lighting paper lanterns, eating moon cakes etc.
It also celebrated by many other countries include Singapore,Malaysia and mainly Asian American community.
The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years.It was a royal sacrificial ceremony associated with moon worshiping and agricultural activities.People worshiped the moon to give thanks for the harvest and to encourage the 'harvest -giving light' to return in the coming year.The changes in the lunar phases provided guidance for the farming schedule , therefore people believed that worshiping the moon could bring a good harvest.
In modern times, most people have sufficient food supplies, but the Mid -Autumn Festival is still significant because the full moon during the festival is a symbol of family reunions.As the festival evolved over time, it has gained additional meanings and now includes prayers for good health and happiness.
Lanterns are a notable part of Mid Autumn Festival.People make lanterns, carry lanterns to do moon gazing, hang lanterns in trees or houses, release sky lanterns or visit public lantern displays, hence it is even be known as a lantern festival .
Lanterns have long been associated with the festival since the Tang Dynasty (618-907),possibly because of their traditional symbolization of luck and light togetherness.
Mid Autumn lanterns have many shapes and can resemble plants & flowers.A tradition is to write riddles on lanterns so thar people can enjoy solving them with family and friends.
Lanterns are a notable part of Mid Autumn Festival.People make lanterns, carry lanterns to do moon gazing, hang lanterns in trees or houses, release sky lanterns or visit public lantern displays, hence it is even be known as a lantern festival .
Lanterns have long been associated with the festival since the Tang Dynasty (618-907),possibly because of their traditional symbolization of luck and light togetherness.
Mid Autumn lanterns have many shapes and can resemble plants & flowers.A tradition is to write riddles on lanterns so thar people can enjoy solving them with family and friends.
After the Mid -Autumn Festival, people eat mooncakes together with family , or present mooncakes to family , relatives or friends to express their love and best wishes.
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