The Mid-Autumn Festival,^[a] also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Vietnam, as well as by overseas Chinese and Vietnamese communities. Similar holidays are celebrated in Japan (Tsukimi), Korea (Chuseok), and throughout Southeast Asia.

It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture; its popularity is on par with that of Chinese New Year. The history of the Mid-Autumn Festival dates back over 3,000 years.^[2][3] The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar.^[4] On this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn.^[5]

Lanterns of all size and shapes, are carried and displayed – symbolic beacons that light people’s path to prosperity and good fortune. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean, egg yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during this festival.^[6][7][8] The Mid-Autumn Festival is based on the legend of Chang’e, the moon goddess in Chinese mythology.

 

Very long long ago in ancient China there were ten sun’s. Each of them fiery energetic and golden glow. Precious son of the emperor of the celestial court. They took time to bring light and warmth to earth. Each day one son would travel across the sky from east to west. Sun’s enjoyed being together after a while they didn’t want to be alone in the sky. One day the ten suns decided to travel together. Ten Sun’s rose to the sky all at the same time. But the people on earth were very hurt and couldn’t bear it . Plants and trees dying. rocks melted and all the water began to dry up. People of china beg the emperor Yao not to do this. He emperor Yao asked Di Jun 帝俊 , the father of the Ten Sun’s, to persuade his children to appear one at a time. He decided to send his most brave and clever archer Hou Yi 后羿 to talk to the ten suns. Hou Yi too the bow and arrow and went to Kunlun mountain and with super strenght he shot down nine of the ten suns. He ordered the remaining one to rise and set according to the right time. Emperor Jun was furious for he had not intended Hou Yi to kill his son. So he cast Hou Yi 后羿 and his wife Chang E 嫦娥 out of the celestial realm. In order to gain his immortality Hou Yi sought out the Wang Mu, 西王母 Queen mother of the west in the Kunlun mountain 崑崙山. He told Wester Queen mother the whole story. Out of the respect for the good deed he had done and sympathy for the pair Queen mother rewarded Huo Yi 后羿 with elixir. A fine powder made from the kernal of the fruit which grow on the tree of eternity. But the elixir came with a warning. If he and his wife shared the elixir both will enjoy eternal life. But if only one of them took it that one would become God again while the other remained a mortal. Hou Yi 后羿 Thanked the queen. Not being able to bear the thought of parting with Chang-E, Hou Yi asked her wife Chang’e to keep the elixir hidden. As she kept the elixir away, Peng Meng 彭萌 Saw it. One Day when Hou Yi was out for hunting, With sword in hand , Peng Meng rushed to Chang-E’s quarters and forced her to give him the elixir. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to fight him, Chang-E took out the elixir and drank it immediately. as soon as Chang-E 嫦娥 drank it , she flew out the window towards the Heavens. Chang-E’s great love for her husband drew her towards the nearest celestial body, the moon. Returned to his home as well as his wife . Upon realizing what happened to his wife Hou Yi was grief stricken. he shouted Chang-E name to the skies. He was amazed to see a swaying shadow on the moon that was exactly like his wife. Hou Yi took his wife’s favorite food and offered them up to her on altar. It became a memorial ceremony for Chang-E, who became being for the fortune and Peace. The Story of Chang-E spread. with it, the custom of worshiping the moon spread as well. To this day the goddess Chang-E rest on moon and looking over the people his husband once protected, in the video “Legend of Mid Autumn festival (animation)中秋節“, below:

 

It is said that if you look up at the moon, you can see an outline of the Jade Rabbit pounding with a pestle, it keeps the beautiful goddess Chang’e company in the Moon Palace. Here is the story from East Asia of the the Jade Rabbit, in the video “Mid-Autumn festival – Legend of the Jade Rabbit“, below:

Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese/Lunar calendar, which is in September or early October on the Gregorian calendar. In 2019 it took place on Friday September 13th. And in 2020, it is taking place on October 1. The most famous legend of how the Mid-Autumn festival began is the romantic love story between HouYi and Chang’e , in the video “Mid Autumn Festival story and how Chinese celebrate it“, below: