- History and origins of the Moon Festival
- The legend of Chang’E
- Moon Festival traditions
- Yue bing, the delicious moon cake or
- A festival that brings the family together
Every year, at the full moon on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, and for 1,300 years now, China and many East Asian countries have celebrated an iconic event: the Moon Festival, also called the Mid-Autumn Festival.
It is one of the most important celebrations in Chinese culture, second only to the Lunar New Year. It is a time for family reunions, offerings to the moon, tasting mooncakes and gazing at the night sky.
Discover the origins, legends and traditions that make this festival so dear to Chinese hearts.
History and origins of the Moon Festival
The Moon Festival, also called the “Mid-Autumn Festival” or Zhōng qiū jié in pinyin, is the second most important event in the Chinese calendar. The celebration takes place on the night of the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar and generally falls between September and October.
The 15th day corresponds to a full-moon night: it is even said to be the night when the moon is at its roundest and brightest.
Originally, the Moon Festival was a harvest festival: it became particularly important under the Tang dynasty (618-907) and celebrates the end of the harvest. In China, the weather is especially pleasant at this time of year. In fact, many Chinese people consider autumn to be the most beautiful of the seasons.
Today, the moon is at the heart of the festivities. And with good reason: it has always held great significance in Chinese tradition, where it symbolises unity, togetherness and family.
The legend of Chang’E
In China, several legends surround the Moon Festival. The legend of Chang’E is probably the most popular of them.
It is said that long ago, the Earth was surrounded by ten suns. One day, these ten suns shone so brightly that they caused a terrible drought and unparalleled chaos. The people begged Hou Yi, known for his skill as an archer, to shoot down nine of the suns with his bow, which he managed to do.
Thanks to this incredible feat, Hou Yi was made king. Little by little, he became extremely arrogant, until he turned into a dangerous tyrant. Thirsty for power, he set out to steal the elixir of immortality from the celestial Queen Mother. Faced with this dreadful sight, to save her people and avert disaster, Chang’E, Hou Yi's wife, drank the elixir of immortality and flew away to the moon.
Inconsolable, Hou Yi desperately watched the moon in the hope of seeing his beloved. He finally glimpsed her one full-moon evening: the night of the 15th day of the 8th month. And so, every year on this date, it is said that Hou Yi laid out a banquet facing the moon to catch a glimpse of the woman he loved so much.
Moon Festival traditions
Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong
In China, every region has its own traditions, and this also applies to national festivities.
So each major city celebrates the Moon Festival in its own way: in Beijing, it is customary to make and worship figures of “Lord Rabbit”; in Shanghai, families burn incense, make dumplings (xiaolongbao) and set up a table outdoors laden with mooncakes and fruit; the city of Hong Kong lights up and hosts fire dragon dance shows as well as the famous gala of coloured lanterns.
However, some traditions are shared by the whole country, as is the case with the moon cake (Yue bing), also known as the mooncake.
Yue bing, the delicious moon cake or mooncake
Made from sweet red bean or date paste and salted duck egg yolks, this dessert remains the best-known way to celebrate the event. Traditionally, the mooncake was cut so that each family member had a piece. Its round shape recalls the moon, and Chinese characters said to bring good luck decorate the pastry.
Today, mooncakes are being reinvented with more varied fillings, sometimes lighter or richer in natural benefits. You will find ingredients such as goji berries, jujube fruits, black sesame or red bean paste – all from Chinese tradition and appreciated as much for their taste as for their virtues. A lovely way to combine tradition and well-being.
Once again, several legends surround these little cakes. One story goes that around 1300, while the Mongols occupied China, the Han decided to strike back. They had the idea of hiding a message inside mooncakes and distributing them widely across the country. The message warned that a revolt would take place on the 15th day of the 8th month. This rebellion marked the beginning of the Ming dynasty.
A festival that brings the family together
The Moon Festival is above all a family celebration. Tradition has it that the family gathers around a good meal to share the famous mooncakes.
Once the meal is over, families go out to stroll and admire the moon. Parks are usually packed with people who have opted for a night-time picnic. The moon puts on a beautiful show: full and bright, it lights up streets and houses. In China, many people call upon it and make offerings to it in the hope that the following year's harvest will be good.
In addition, as is customary in China on feast days, children take part in the festivities by flying the colourful lanterns they have joyfully made for the occasion.
Lion dance in the streets of Paris in 2018
So while this day was originally devoted to celebrating the harvest, the Moon Festival is now a symbol of family reunion. On this full-moon night, Chinese people get together with their loved ones for dinner, float lanterns on rivers and watch the sky while enjoying traditional mooncakes.
And beyond China, this festival is also celebrated in many cities around the world, including Paris, where neighbourhoods such as Belleville light up with colourful lanterns in a festive atmosphere mixing shows, parades and traditional dances such as the lion dance.
Every year, the Moon Festival is the perfect opportunity to celebrate autumn, reconnect with loved ones… and treat yourself to delicious mooncakes.
