Moon festival
The Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival ( Chinese 中秋節 / 中秋节 , Pinyin Zhongqiujie , short 中秋 , Zhongqiu ) is in Asia of the eighth month in the traditional on the 15th day Chinese lunar calendar committed. In ancient times the emperors sacrificed to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn . The word “mid-autumn” ( 中秋 ) can already be found in the historical works from the Zhou dynasty (approx. 11th century to 256 BC ). Later, the nobles and literati followed the example of the emperors and admired the bright full moon in autumn. During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368–1911), it became one of the most important festivals in China.
The festival is also in South Korea as Chuseok and in Vietnam as Tết Trung Thu celebrated. There is also an equivalent festival in Japan called Otsukimi .
Customs
Traditionally, moon cakes with different fillings, e.g. B. sweet, salty, with meat or vegetarian filling, eaten. The full moon-shaped, palm-sized moon cakes, which were originally offered as an offering, are never bought for personal use, but given away to relatives, friends, neighbors and employees at the Moon Festival. The filling can be salty or sweet, and each bakery has its own recipe.
In China and Vietnam, many families go on excursions at the Moon Festival. Usually there is a barbecue and moon cakes and pomelos, which are reminiscent of the full moon in shape and color, and in the evening the full moon is viewed together. In addition to family reunions, many regions also have public celebrations such as B. Lantern exhibitions, kite dancing and acrobatics.
The three most important are:
- enjoy the moonlight,
- the decoration of the streets with Lunar Festival lanterns and
- giving away and enjoying moon cake.
In Taiwan, in recent years, people have grilled all over the streets with families and neighbors ( 烤肉 / 烤肉 , Kǎoròu ). They also like to give away pomelos , which are also reminiscent of the full moon due to their shape.
Mythological background
There are several legends about the moon festival . According to one, the moon festival stems from the legend of Chang'e 's ascent to the moon ( 嫦娥奔月 , Cháng'é Bēnyuè ) around the archer Houyi / Hou Yi ( 后羿 , Hòuyì ). In the past, there were ten suns, from the sun goddess Xi He ( 羲和 , Xihe born) three-legged birds called Yangwu ( 陽烏 , Yángwū ) or Jinwu ( 金烏 , Jinwu ) who gathered one day and dry up the soil and the crop let wither. Hou Yi climbed the summit of Kunlun Mountain, shot down nine suns and ordered the last sun to rise and set punctually every day.
Houyi had received an immortal pill from a goddess. His wife Chang'e swallowed the medicine and then floated up to the moon. There she built a palace in which she has lived ever since.
Events
- 2008: September 14th
- 2009: October 3rd
- 2010: September 22nd
- 2011: September 12th
- 2012: September 30th
- 2013: September 19th
- 2014: September 8th
- 2015: September 27th
- 2016: September 15th
- 2017: October 4th
- 2018: September 24th
- 2019: September 13th
- 2020: October 1st
- 2021: September 21
- 2022: September 10th
Web links
- Moon Festival , China.org
- Mid-Autumn Festival , Taiwan tourism
- Hong Kong Observatory - Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table
Individual evidence
- ↑ 甘晶莹: 中秋节 Mid-Autumn Festival. (No longer available online.) September 8, 2008, archived from the original on September 13, 2008 ; accessed on September 19, 2009 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Compare Xihe , Houyi , Chang'e , Three-legged bird , Mid-Autumn Festival , engl. Wikipedia
