CHINESE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration that begins on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Chinese lunar calendar, corresponding to late September to early October of the Gregorian calendar with a full moon at night. It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its roundest and brightest.

Referred to in China as zhongqiujie (中秋节), the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the largest festivals in Mainland China and East Asia. The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second grandest
festival in China after the Chinese New Year, This festival began as a celebration of the moon and has a tradition of deity, but it is also a time for family reunion. Many traditions of the Mid-Autumn festival are centred around family getting together and rejoicing.

Due to ancient China's cultural influence, the Mid-Autumn Festival has spread to other parts of Southeast Asia. However, the way in which different countries celebrate it varies. Mooncakes, which are traditionally eaten during this festival, have also appeared in western countries as an exotic sweet.
People in mainland China enjoy one day off on the festival which is usually connected to the weekend. In Hong Kong and Macau, people also enjoy one day off. However, it is not scheduled on the festival day, but the following day and it is usually not connected with the weekend. In Taiwan, the one-day holiday falls on the festival day.

HISTORY

Mid-Autumn Festival is an inherited custom of moon sacrificial ceremonies. The ancient Chinese observed that the movement of the moon had a close relationship with changes of the seasons and agricultural production. Hence, to express their thanks to the moon and celebrate the harvest, they offered a sacrifice to the moon on autumn days.

This custom could be traced back to the ZHOU DYNASTY (1046 - 256 BC) and was more often practised by the royal class on the Autumnal Equinox. At that time, the custom had no festival background at all. Later in the SUI (581 - 618 AD) and TANG (618 - 907 AD) dynasties, social prosperity inspired the custom of appreciating the moon on the moon sacrifice ceremony day among common people and the two merged.

mid-autumn festival lantern

The people expressed their faith more liberally than the royal class and so they did not strictly hold their activities on the Autumnal Equinox. Therefore, 15th of the 8th lunar month, the closest full moon day to the Autumnal Equinox, turned out to be a better choice and was set as a fixed festival. This happened in the Tang Dynasty. By the time of the NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY (960 - 1127 AD), Mid-Autumn Festival had already become a widely celebrated folk festival.

Romantically speaking, the festival is to commemorate Chang E, who in order to protect her beloved husband’s elixir, ate it herself and flew to the moon.

We at Mal27 Integrated Services Nig. Ltd wishes all our Chinese friends and family a Happy celebration!!!