autumn harvest festival
TRANSCRIPT
Autumn Harvest Festival
Other Names
-Mid-Autumn Festival-Moon Festival-August Moon Festival-Lantern Festival-Full Moon Festival
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
-Hou Yì and Chang'e-At the time there existed ten suns that took 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 15th of August, Hou Yi goes to the moon to vist her. moon to visit Chang’e.
Variations of the StoryHou 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Pictures!!!! Weeeee!