Editor’s note: The Chinese character “月”, meaning “moon”, is the keyword for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. It falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, usually in mid to late September. September 10 this year.
The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena in ancient times and was originally held to worship the autumn moon. As an ancient Chinese custom, moon worship is an important ritual to worship the “moon god” in some parts of China, and various customs such as contemplation of the moon gradually emerged. Originating during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), this holiday is also known as New Year’s Eve in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), and later became one of the most important holidays in China. .
Legend has it that in ancient China, 10 suns appeared in the sky at the same time, destroying crops and plunging people into poverty and despair. One day, a hero named Hou Yi knocked down nine suns and ordered the latter to rise and fall for the benefit of the people. Later, the Queen of Heaven rewarded Hou Yi with an elixir. If you win, you will immediately ascend to heaven and become immortal. However, Hou Yi gave the pill to his wife Chang’e for safekeeping because he didn’t want to leave her.
When Hou Yi was not at home, a villain named Peng Meng forced Chang E to hand over the elixir. At a critical moment, Chang’e drank the elixir, ascended to heaven, became immortal, and landed on the moon. Since then, Hou Yi has missed his wife very much. On the full moon night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, he placed her favorite sweets and fresh fruits on the table as distant offerings to Chang’e, who lived in the Moon Palace.
Upon learning that Chang’e had become immortal, people placed incense burners on an outdoor dining table under the moonlight to pray for Chang’e's safety. The custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.
Post time: Sep-09-2022