The Mid-Autumn Festival: History and Features

The Mid-Autumn feast recital and FeaturesIntroductionThe Mid-Autumn fete similarly known as the Mooncake feast or the feast of Lanterns is one of the most important traditional Chinese fetes, celebrated by many Asian countries, like China, Thaiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. This report card is divided into three main sections. It will first look at the storey and legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival. It will then focus on the celebration in Taiwan. and then there will be a conclusion in the remnant part.The information of this report is come from website such as online library, university journal, and online news. In this report I will use the information which is from online library, and university journal to excuse the scene as these information is more than trustable. The information from online news is used to justify the celebration in Taiwan because it reflects what we do and the meaning for us immediately.History and legends of the Mid-Autum n FestivalThe everyday purport of past Chinese is closely cogitate to nature. In thousands of natural substances, the moon was one of the most difficult things and horrific phenomena for Chinese to comprehend. (Siu, 1999) Ancient Chinese believes that the life of plants was provided by the moon since they instal out that plants grew at night. (Siu, 1999) In gain people could not explain why the shape of the moon always varied therefore ancient Chinese associated the phenomena to the lives of people and animals. (Siu, 1999)The Mid-Autumn Festival is on the 15th of the 8th lunar month and the moon is at its brightest, corpulentest and it is the nearest to the earth on this date. In fact autumn is also the best time for harvesting and convention all the family members to encounterher to celebrate the harvest and enjoy the view of the moon. (Tan, 2004) The feast probably started off as a post-autumn harvest celebration more than 2,000 years ago. The celebrations were devoted to giving thanks to the gods. It was during the reign of emperor Tai Tsung of the Song Dynasty that the 15th day of the 8th moon was set as the Mid-Autumn Festival and praying to the moon became popular. Legends associated with the full moon were later attached to this festival.(Tan, 2004) in that respect are two legends associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. One of them is Hou Yi and Chang-E and the other one is the rabbit on the moon. (Tan, 2004) The legend of Hou Yi and Chang-E is talking about that the earth was saved from scorching by an archer, Hou Yi who shot nine suns that originally circled the earth. (Tan, 2004) After Hou Yi saved the world he was rewarded the philosophers stone of life so that he got the endless lifetime with the elixir, but he became so tyrannical that his wife, Chang-E stole the elixir and drank it to end Hou Yis life for the sufferers who were ruled by Hou Yi. (Tan, 2004) Chang-E found that she was on the moon after she drank the elixir and was esca lated to status of Moon Goddess as she save the sufferers from Hou Yi. (Tan, 2004) This legend is believed to have been started during the thunder Dynasty (618 907 AD) although some believe it may have started earlier, tracing it to the rule of Emperor Yuan (2346 BC). (Tan, 2004) The other legend is about a rabbit and Buddha who had untrue himself as a hungry old man and asked three animals a fox, a monkey, and a rabbit, getting some food for him. (Tan, 2004) Instead of carry a fish or fruits, the rabbit jumped into the fire and offered itself as philia to Buddha. (Tan, 2004) The rabbit was resurrected and sent to the moon to be venerated by Buddha with appreciation. (Tan, 2004) Nowadays Chang-E and victor rabbit are traditional icons of the Mid-Autumn Festival as we can take care a circle of advertisement of moon cake with these two icons which prompt us these two legends.The Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in TaiwanIn Taiwan, there are three biggest celebrations the Chine se New Year, the Dragon ride Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival which is also called Zhong Qiu Jie in Mandarin. (Yeo, 2012) The Mid-Autumn Festival was brought to Taiwan by the immigrants from China. (Wang, 2014) umpteen Western concepts that include barbecue were imported into Taiwan during the period of the Nipponese colonization of Taiwan by the Japanese government. (Wang, 2014) After 1945 a lot of people moved into the city for jobs from the countryside. On the Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue becomes to be the best way for these migrants to make the new relationship between the migrants adpressed because barbecue is an activity that needs everyones cooperation from lighting a fire, preparing the meat, and barbecuing. (Wang, 2014) Even nowadays on the Mid-Autumn Festival, most Taiwanese will barbecue with their friends since it is easier to meet up with friends on this Taiwan-declared public holiday instead of at weekdays. (Yeo, 2012) Besides mooncakes is also very important on the Mid-Autumn Festival. This traditional dessert is usually jammed as gift boxes which contain not only mooncakes but also other pastries such asluo buo si bing (radish pastry) and gui yuan dan gao (longan cake) to up the warmheartedness of the festival. (Yeo, 2012)ConclusionAs one of the most important traditional festival in Chinese, the Mid-Autumn Festival is full of historical and cultural meaning. In addition it gives people a chance to meet up with friends and families to enjoy the glorious view of the brightest moon and delicious barbecue and mooncakes in this busy society. The round image of the moon and its cultural meaning of reunion make us cherish the time of gathering. Even though not everyone can get together with their friends and families especially for those people who are working or poring over in foreign countries, the Mid-Autumn Festival still reminds these people to send their friends and families a massage to show how they miss each other.Reference list Siu, K.W.M. (1999). Lanterns of the Mid-Autumn Festival A Reflection of Hong Kong Cultural spay (pp. 67).Retrieved from Wiley Online Library. http//onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0022-3840.1999.3302_67.x/abstractTan, B. (2004). Mooncake Festival (Zhong Qiu Jie). Retrieved from National Library Board Singapore. http//eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_804_2005-01-13.htmlYeo, J. (2012, September 20). Traditional BBQ for Mid-Autumn Festival ? hick Lifestyle. Retrieved from https//sg.style.yahoo.com/news/traditional-bbq-mid-autumn-festival-132534304.htmlWang, C. (2014). The Barbecue in Moon Festival Discussing the Social Change of Moon Festival Activities (pp.93-110). Retrieved from Chung Hsing Journal Humanities Edition. http//ir.lib.nchu.edu.tw/bitstream/11455/88022/1/85470-3.pdf