Here are some of the most popular traditional celebrations. You might want to read more on Mid-Autumn Festival Origins or 10 Interesting Mid-Autumn Facts.Īs the second most important festival in China, Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie) is celebrated in many traditional ways. Because of the central theme of family reunion, sometimes the festival evokes comparison to Thanksgiving in the U.S. It is said the moon on this day is the brightest and roundest, which has come to mean family reunion.
In modern times, people mainly celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival as a time for family reunions. In the process of cultural/historical developments, Mid-Autumn Festival has been infused with more meanings, including families gathering together and praying for good health and happiness. It was derived from the custom of worshiping the moon in autumn to thank it for the harvest. This tradition arose because the Chinese name for pomelos, you zi (柚子), sounds the same as the words for “ prayer for a son.” People hope that if they put the light-colored rinds on their heads, Chang’e, looking down from her home on the moon, will be able to see them better and will answer their prayers.Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years. You might even see people putting the pomelo rinds on their heads after eating the fruit.
Pomelos are the largest citrus fruit, reaching as large as 12 inches in diameter! With a light flavor similar to a sweet grapefruit, they pair perfectly with mooncakes. This uprising led to the overthrow of the Mongol’s Yuan Dynasty and the founding of the Ming Dynasty.Īnd what about the large, pear-shaped yellow or light-green fruit that you see all over the place at this time of year? Those are pomelos. When China was living under Mongol rule, a revolutionary used moon cakes to hide a secret message, telling China’s people to rise up against the Mongol invaders on the 15 th day of the 8 th lunar month, the same day as the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to folk tales, Moon cakes have been associated with the Mid Autumn Festival since the 1300s. In 2011, the government in Taipei designated 11 riverside parks to accommodate outdoor barbecue sites for the public. Outdoor barbecues have become a popular affair for friends and family in Taiwan to gather and enjoy each other’s company. Many people return to their family’s home in the countryside, as well, to reunite over a barbecue feast. In the cities, you’re sure to see small barbecue pits set up in rooftops, sidewalks, and in parks. Regardless of its origin, the Mid-Autumn Festival’s barbecues bring family and friends together. According to one story, it all started with an ad campaign by a company that sold-what else? Barbecue sauce! That ad campaign was so successful at promoting the Mid-Autumn Festival as the best time for a barbecue that it has become part of family traditions. It’s unclear exactly how barbecues have become such an important part of the festival in Taiwan, though. In Taiwan, the tradition most closely associated with the Mid Autumn Festival is having a barbecue. The Mid Autumn Festival is celebrated in many Asia countries, and each country has its own unique traditions. See also Interview with Brooke O'Brien, an American Teacher in Taipei, Taiwan The moon is at its brightest and fullest during the Mid Autumn festival, and people say this is when Chang’e, still living on the moon, is at her most beautiful. She didn’t stop until she landed on the moon, where she has been trapped ever since. As a reward, the gods gave him a pill that would make him immortal.Īccidentally, Chang’e swallowed the pill herself and began floating upwards. Chang’e’s husband, Hou Yi, was a great archer who saved the Earth from being scorched by shooting down 9 of the suns with his arrows. The most popular of these is the legend of Chang’e.Īccording to the legend, there was once a time when there were 10 suns in the sky.
The festival is also a time for telling, re-telling, and remembering the legends associated with the moon.
#Midautumn festival in toishan full#
In ancient China, it began in part as a day to give thanks for the harvests of summer, and also to appreciate the beauty of the full moon. The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15 th day of the 8 th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Since the Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan is one of Taiwan’s most important holidays, it’s worth taking some time to look at the traditions and history that surround this festival. Or maybe you’ve received some mooncakes or a strange-looking light-green fruit as a gift. Maybe someone has invited you to a barbeque. If you teach English in Taiwan, you’ve certainly heard about the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.
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