Introduction to the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on August 15 of the lunar calendar. Its origins are closely related to the autumn harvest and the customs of moon worship.
The Mid-Autumn Festival reflects people’s reverence and gratitude towards nature. In ancient times, people would worship the moon and the land gods to thank nature for its gifts. Modern individuals also take this opportunity to reflect on life and express gratitude for the people and things around them.
Significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival
- Celebrate the harvest
- Cultural inheritance
- Family reunion
- Coinciding with the full moon, symbolizing reunion and harmony
Customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival
The customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival are rich and diverse, mainly including the following:
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Family Reunion and Moon Gazing | Families gather together to admire the moon, symbolizing family reunion and harmony. This custom can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty and became an important family gathering day during the Qingming period. |
| Eating Mooncakes | Mooncakes were originally offerings to the gods and later evolved into traditional foods for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Their round shape symbolizes reunion, making them a popular gift and sharing item. |
| Eating Pomelos | Pomelos are in season during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and their pronunciation is similar to “having children,” symbolizing blessings and protection for future generations. |
| Appreciating Osmanthus Flowers and Drinking Osmanthus Wine | The eighth lunar month is also known as the month of osmanthus, making it a good time to appreciate osmanthus flowers. Since ancient times, poets have associated osmanthus flowers with the bright moonlight. Osmanthus wine also symbolizes wealth and good fortune. |
| Ancestor Worship and Moon Worship | The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for ancestor worship, where people prepare offerings such as fruits, wine, and mooncakes to express gratitude to their ancestors. In some regions, there are also customs of moon worship, praying for the blessings of the Moon Goddess. |
| Worshiping the Land God | Folklore suggests that the Land God’s birthday is on August 15 of the lunar calendar, so in addition to ancestor worship and moon worship, people also pay respects to the Land God. Given that Taiwan’s early agricultural society relied on the weather, the Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with the autumn harvest, making it a time to pray for a bountiful harvest. |
| Barbecuing | In Taiwan, barbecuing has become a unique way to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. This custom originated from advertising influence and gradually evolved into part of family gatherings. |
Customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Different Regions
| Region | Name | Main Customs |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland China | Mid-Autumn Festival | Different regions have various customs, such as burning towers, mooncake gambling, stealing food, and making rice cakes. In southern regions like Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian, the burning tower custom is preserved; Xiamen has mooncake gambling, while Hunan and Guizhou have the “stealing food” custom. |
| Hong Kong | Mid-Autumn Festival | The Mid-Autumn holiday is set for the 16th day of the lunar month, with activities including moon gazing and Mid-Autumn evening parties. Many businesses close early on the afternoon of the Mid-Autumn Festival. |
| Macau | Mid-Autumn Festival | The Mid-Autumn holiday is set for the day after the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Municipal Affairs Bureau holds a Mid-Autumn evening party at Lou Lim Ieoc Garden, featuring booth games, lantern riddles, and tasting festive foods. The Science Museum organizes a “Moon Gazing” event with telescopes for public moon observation and scientific explanations. The Cultural Affairs Bureau extends the opening of some cultural heritage buildings and holds concerts, workshops, and markets. There are also fireworks displays on Mid-Autumn night. Families gather to admire the moon, eat mooncakes, and enjoy seasonal foods. |
| Taiwan | Mid-Autumn Festival | The Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunions, with main customs including barbecuing and moon gazing. Many families hold outdoor barbecue parties and enjoy mooncakes and fruits. Some regions have lantern activities, riddles, and various cultural performances. Traditionally, Taiwanese people also exchange gifts during the Mid-Autumn Festival, giving mooncakes to express blessings. |
| Japan | Tsukimi | People eat tsukimi dango and worship pampas grass and autumn crops. Children may “steal tsukimi dango” for good luck. |
| South Korea | Chuseok (추석) | Ancestral worship, grave sweeping, family reunions, eating songpyeon, and celebrating the harvest, usually with a three-day holiday. |
| North Korea | Mid-Autumn Festival | Although the specific customs are not as rich as in South Korea, family gatherings and moon gazing are the main activities. |
| Vietnam | Tết Trung Thu (Moon Gazing Festival) | Focused on children, activities include lion dances and moon gazing, with children carrying carp lanterns symbolizing growth. |
| Singapore (Chinese) | Mid-Autumn Festival | Family gatherings for reunion dinners, moon gazing, lantern carrying, riddles, and Mid-Autumn fairs, with Teochew people worshiping the Moon God. |
| Malaysia (Chinese) | Mid-Autumn Festival | Chinese people enjoy moon gazing, eating mooncakes, and lantern parades, with celebrations held in places like Kuala Lumpur. |
| Thailand (Chinese) | Moon Praying Festival | Worshiping Guanyin, praying for peace, with offerings including mooncakes and longevity peaches. |
| Indonesia (Chinese) | Mid-Autumn Festival | The Chinese community also celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival, with customs similar to those in China, mainly including family gatherings and moon gazing. |
Myths and Legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival
Chang’e Flies to the Moon
Chang’e is the wife of Hou Yi. According to legend, over four thousand years ago, ten suns rose in the sky simultaneously, causing the land to crack and rivers to dry up, leading to immense suffering among the people. Hou Yi, a brave archer, shot down nine suns, saving the people. He received an elixir of immortality from the Queen Mother of the West but did not wish to enjoy it alone, so he entrusted it to Chang’e for safekeeping. However, Hou Yi’s disciple, Peng Meng, attempted to steal the elixir. In a moment of crisis, Chang’e swallowed the elixir and flew to the moon, becoming the Moon Goddess, and has since resided in the Palace of Eternal Cold.
The Jade Rabbit Pounding Medicine
In the legend, three deities transformed into pitiful old men and begged animals for food. The fox and monkey had food to offer, but the rabbit had nothing. The rabbit willingly offered itself, jumping into the fire to feed the old men. Touched by the rabbit’s sacrifice, the deities sent it to the moon, where it became the Jade Rabbit, responsible for pounding medicine and creating the elixir of immortality.
Wu Gang Cuts the Osmanthus Tree
Wu Gang is a mortal woodcutter who, due to his obsession with immortality, angered the sun god and was punished by the Heavenly Emperor, being sent to the moon to cut down an immortal osmanthus tree. Every time he cut off a branch, it would immediately regrow, so he could never complete his task and became an eternal prisoner.
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Visits the Moon Palace
During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong and Daoist priest Shen Tianshi admired the moon on Mid-Autumn night and suddenly wished to visit the Moon Palace. The priest cast a spell, and the three of them flew on clouds to the Moon Palace to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the moon.
Zhu Yuanzhang’s Mooncake Uprising
Zhu Yuanzhang led the Han people in rebellion against the tyranny of the Yuan Dynasty, starting the uprising around August 15. They exchanged mooncakes with messages hidden inside as a means of communication. The custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival thus spread among the people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Barbecuing a Tradition during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan?
In recent years, barbecuing has become a popular activity during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan. Traditionally, there was no custom of barbecuing. It began in 1982 when the Hsinchu area, known for manufacturing barbecues, faced a downturn in exports. Manufacturers shifted to domestic sales and began lowering prices on barbecue equipment as a marketing strategy, leading to the popularity of barbecue activities. Later, the advertisement for barbecue sauce, “A Family Barbecues, Everyone Smells Good,” became a driving force behind this activity.
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Reference
- 中秋節 - 維基百科，自由的百科全書
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- 中秋節快樂！一次看懂10大禁忌習俗、為什麼要烤肉與吃月餅
- 【中秋2021】亞洲6大國家中秋習俗 日本人食月見團子/ 韓國人同新年一樣忙/ 越南小朋友大晒
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- 2024中秋節在9/17，為什麼台灣人中秋要烤肉？告訴你中秋節由來和習俗
- 【經典廣告詞】一家烤肉萬家香、有媽媽的味道（萬家香醬油） - YouTube
- 經典廣告 金蘭烤肉醬 - YouTube