2. Other Names
•
-Mid-Autumn Festival
•
-Moon Festival
•
-August Moon Festival
•
-Lantern Festival
•
-Full Moon Festival
3. Historical Importance
• -One of the two most
important Chinese
holidays and is a
celebration of Abundance
and Togetherness
• -It is celebrated on the 15th
Day of the 8th Lunar Month
• -Dates back over 3000
years to China’s Zhou
Dynasty
4. -Hou existed and that took
At the time there
Yì ten suns Chang'e-
turns to circle the Earth, but one day they all
came out at the same time, causing the entire
Earth to scorch. Hou Yi was an archer who
was commanded by the emperor to shoot
down all but one of the suns. After doing so
he was rewarded with an Elixir of Life in the
form of a pill. He was told that he must
prepare himself spiritually before he could
take the pill, so he hid it from his wife,
Chang’e and left to heal his spirit. Chang’e
found and ate the pill and discovered that she
could now fly. Hou Yi came back and chased
her halfway to the heavens, but eventually
had to turn back. Chang’e landed on the
moon. Once there, she coughed out part of
the pill. Already on the moon was the Jade
Rabbit, who made Elixirs, and she asked him
to make her a pill that would allow her to go
back to Earth. Ever since, he has been
pounding a medicine for her. Till this day,
every 15 th of August, Hou Yi goes to the moon
to vist her. moon to visit Chang’e.
5. Variations of the Story
Hou Yì and Chang'e were
originally immortals. One day
Hou Yi was told to deal with the
ten sons of the Jade Emperor who
had transformed into ten suns,
causing the Earth to burn. He shot
down 9 of them with his bow and
arrow. Angered, the emperor sent
him and his wife down to Earth as
mortals. Hou Yi went on a quest
and found the Pill of Life which he
would share half of with his wife
so they could become immortals
again. But his wife, Chang’e,
swallowed the whole thing and
floated up to the moon where she
stayed.
6. More Stories! Yay!
-The Jade Rabbit-
In this legend, three fairy sages
transformed themselves into
pitiful old men, and begged for
food from a fox, a monkey, and
a hare. The fox and the monkey
both had food to give to the old
men, but refused and walked
away. The hare, empty-
handed, jumped into a blazing
fire to offer his own flesh
instead. The sages were so
touched by the hare's sacrifice
and act of kindness that they
chose to let him live in the
Moon Palace, where he
became the Jade Rabbit.
7. Traditional Ways to Celebrate
- Most Chinese families go
outside to drink tea and eat
Moon Cakes together, since it
is a holiday about
togetherness and being with
family.
- Other’s also burn incense,
plant Mid-Autumn trees, light
lanterns on towers and fire
dragon dances
- People usually have big
family dinners together and
afterwards got to the park to
watch a performance of some
sort.
8. Everyone Loves Moon Cakes!
-Moon cakes are cakes usually in
a round shape, sometimes
square, that are filled with mung
bean, red bean, etc.
-Story of Moon Cakes: during
Mongolian rule of China,
Rebellion leaders passed out
Moon Cakes with a messages
stuffed inside that said things like
"Kill the Mongolians on the 15th
day of the Eighth Moon" ( 八月十
五殺韃子 ). After a successful
rebellion, the Ming Dynasty was
established.
9. Ways to Celebrate (cont.)
- It is also common to have
barbecues outside under the
moon, and to put pomelo rinds
on one's head. Brightly lit
lanterns are often carried
around by children. Together
with the celebration, there
appear some special customs
in different parts of the
country, such as burning
incense, planting sweet-olive
trees, lighting lanterns on
towers, and fire dragon
dances. Shops selling Moon
Cakes, before the festival,
often display pictures of
Chang'e, floating to the moon.
