Mid-Autumn Festival is for Happiness Together

Mid- Autumn Festival is a very important celebration for the Chinese all over the world.

The festival is just as grand as the Chinese New Year. It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar. This year the big day falls on September 14, 2008. The moon is at its fullest and brightest on this night. This is an occasion to foster togetherness and close relationships with family members, relatives, and friends. On this occasion, we exchange moon cakes among friends and relatives. Happiness fills the air when all the family members are together for once. We sit outside the house to admire the full moon and savor the moon cakes with Chinese tea; children will carry their lanterns with lighted candles. Mid-autumn Festival or Lantern Festival is associated with moon cakes, lanterns, and most importantly pomelos, taroes (芋头yu you), and water chestnuts (菱角ling jiao). Eating taroes, according to old folks at home, will get rid of evil spirits and neutralize disaster. While pomelos (柚子you zi) which sounds the same as (佑you), it means protection in Chinese. So pomelos signify the wishes of protection by the moon. As for water chestnuts, children will grow up to be smart by eating them. The shadow that you see on the moon is that of Chang E (嫦娥), a pretty woman and a jade rabbit pounding herbs. There are many versions of the folklore. 

This is one of the stories. Once upon a time, there lived a husband and a wife by the name of Hou Yi (后羿) and Chang E. At that time there were ten suns and the earth is scorching hot so the king ordered Hou Yi, an archer to shoot down the suns and he shot down all except one and he was rewarded with a pill by the king that gave him eternal life. However, his curious wife swallowed the pill and she could fly. Hou Yi wanted to reprehend her but she flew to the moon. Landed on the moon she was exhausted and she started coughing and part of the pill fell out from her mouth. As there was a rabbit on the moon she asked the rabbit to make another pill for her so that she could return to join her husband on earth. For those who are working away from home, it is a good time to return home and see your loved ones. Your presence at home on this occasion is more important than your presents. This is a time to be happy together.