What is the Mid-Autumn Festival? What kind of festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Night, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Eighth Month Festival, Eighth Month Gathering, Chasing the Moon Festival, Playing the Moon Festival, Worshiping the Moon Festival, Daughter's Festival, or Reunion Festival, is a traditional cultural festival that is popular among many Chinese ethnic groups and countries in the Chinese character culture circle. It falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Because it occurs halfway through the three autumn seasons, it is called Mid-Autumn. In some places, the Mid-Autumn Festival is set on the sixteenth day of the eighth lunar month. There are many theories about the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The term "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the "Zhouli" (Rites of Zhou). The "Record of the Monthly Rites" in the "Book of Rites" states: "In the month of Mid-Autumn, feed the elderly and provide porridge." One theory suggests that it originated from the activities of ancient emperors. According to the "Book of Rites," it says: "The emperor greets the sun in spring and worships the moon in autumn," where "worshipping the moon" refers to worshiping the moon, indicating that even in the Spring and Autumn period, emperors had already begun to worship the moon. Later, some nobles and scholars also imitated this practice, gradually spreading it into folk traditions.
What are the traditional foods eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival?
1. Osmanthus CakeOsmanthus wine, during August when osmanthus flowers are fragrant, indeed, it is precisely the time when osmanthus flowers bloom during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many families will use osmanthus to make osmanthus cakes or soak them in osmanthus wine. Whether it's osmanthus cake or osmanthus wine, they all emit the unique fragrance of osmanthus.
2. Freshwater Snail
In many parts of Guangdong, there is also a custom of eating snails during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is the time when freshwater snails are empty of young ones, with no small snails in their bodies. Therefore, the meat is especially tender and delicious, making it the best season to eat snails. Additionally, snail meat is rich in nutrients, and the vitamin A it contains is an important substance for eye pigment, which can protect the eyes.
3. Mooncake
Mooncakes are one of the most famous traditional Chinese snacks, and they are also a customary food for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Among them, Guangdong-style, Beijing-style, Suzhou-style, Chaoshan-style, and Yunnan-style mooncakes are loved by people across China. Mooncakes are round and round, and they are shared by the whole family, symbolizing reunion and harmony. On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, they are essential foods. In ancient times, mooncakes were used as offerings during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said that the custom of eating mooncakes started during the Tang Dynasty.
