Published:  29th Sep. 2023

Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Eve, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, August Festival, August Meeting, Moon Chasing Festival, Moon Playing Festival, Moon Worshiping Festival, Daughter's Day or Reunion Festival, is popular among many ethnic groups and Chinese character cultural circles in China. The traditional cultural festival of various countries falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Because it happens to be in the middle of the third autumn, hence the name, some places also set the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 16th day of the eighth month.

The Mid-Autumn Festival began in the early Tang Dynasty and became popular in the Song Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become one of the major Chinese festivals as famous as the Spring Festival. Influenced by Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a traditional festival in some countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially the local Chinese and overseas Chinese. Since 2008, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been listed as a national statutory holiday. On May 20, 2006, the State Council included it in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.

In ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky at the same time, causing the crops to wither and the people to live in dire straits. A hero named Hou Yi, who was extremely powerful, sympathized with the suffering people, drew his magic bow, and shot down more than nine suns at once, and gave the final order. A sun rises and sets on time to benefit the people. Hou Yi's wife's name was Chang'e. Hou Yi spent all day with his wife except passing on his skills and hunting. Many people with lofty ideals came here to learn skills from the master, and Peng Meng with evil intentions also got in.

One day, Hou Yi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit friends and seek enlightenment, and asked the Queen Mother for a packet of elixir. It is said that if you take this medicine, you can immediately ascend to heaven and become an immortal. However, Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife and temporarily gave the elixir to Chang'e for collection. Chang'e hid the medicine in the treasure box on the dressing table. Three days later, Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting. Peng Meng, who had evil intentions, pretended to be sick and did not go out. Shortly after Hou Yi led everyone away, Peng Meng broke into the backyard of the inner house with a sword and forced Chang'e to hand over the elixir. Chang'e knew that she was no match for Peng Meng. When she was in danger, she turned around and opened the treasure box, took out the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. Chang'e swallowed the medicine, and her body immediately floated off the ground, rushed out of the window, and flew to the sky. Because Chang'e cared about her husband, she flew to the moon closest to the world and became an immortal.

In the evening, Hou Yi returned home, and the maids cried and told them what happened during the day. Hou Yi was frightened and angry, so he drew his sword to kill the villain, but Peng Meng had already escaped. Hou Yi was so angry that he beat his chest and was distraught. He looked up at the night sky and called Chang'e. Then he found that today's moon was particularly bright and bright, and there was a person. The shaking figure resembles Chang'e. Hou Yi missed his wife, so he sent someone to Chang'e's favorite back garden, set up an incense table, placed the sweetmeats and fresh fruits that Chang'e loved to eat, and offered sacrifices to Chang'e in the moon palace. After the people heard the news that Chang'e flew to the moon and became an immortal, they all set up incense tables under the moon and prayed to the kind-hearted Chang'e for good luck and peace. From then on, the custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.

On the occasion of the wonderful festive season, it is a very happy thing to raise a glass with your family and drink pearl red traditional Hakka wine. Pearl Red also wishes you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.