Rooted in the agricultural heritage of South East Asia, the Mid Autumn Festival or Zongqiu is celebrated in various ways by the Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Singaporean and Philippine people. Originating several thousand years ago, the event is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the 8th month of the Chinese calendar. Denoting family reunions, celebrants get together with their friends and families and celebrate by exchanging gifts, eating moon cakes and viewing the moon. Lighting of lanterns and dragon dances also feature prominently in the celebrations. There are many legends associated with the festival which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.
During this period farmers celebrated the end of the fall harvest and traditionally this is the time for Chinese families and friends to get together. For millennia Chinese people have attributed the ups and downs of life to the waxing and waning of the moon. The full rounded moon of mid autumn symbolizes reunion. The best known tradition is the eating of moon cakes with family and friends. There are different varieties of moon cakes. Generally they are cooked taro.
Shops sell moon cakes and display pictures of the Chinese moon goddess Chang e floating on the moon. The legend of Houyi and Chang e and how Chang e got to be the moon goddess is familiar to all Chinese. Additional customs associated with this celebration include, lighting floating sky lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, burning incense to honor deities, carrying brightly lit lanterns, carry lanterns on bamboo poles and put them at the highest points available, collect and distribute dandelion leaves among family members, fire dragon dances.
In Vietnam the Festival is known as the Tet Trung Thu. There is also a Vietnamese legend connected with the festival. Another interesting aspect of the Festival in Vietnam is lion dance groups going from house to house asking permission to perform for the householders. If accepted the dancers will dance in the house to bring good luck and good fortune. The host is expected to give lucky money to show appreciation. The moon cakes appear to be square in Vietnam although round ones are also not uncommon.
Whatever the reason, the Mid Autumn festival is an opportunity to celebrate family reunions with exchanges of moon cakes and other gifts.
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