中秋节 Mid-Autumn Festival

The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month is the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival(中秋节zhōng qiū jiē), which falls on Sept 8 this year. In the Chinese lunar calendar, August is in the middle of autumn and the 15th day is in the middle of the month. This explains why the 15th of August is called the Mid-Autumn Festival. The day is also known as the moon festival, for on that day, the moon is at its fullest and brightest. It is an important festival for family members to get together, so it is also called the Reunio Festival.

传统：Tradition

According to tradition, all family members gather on this day, sit down at a table filled with fruit and pastry, among which there must be moon cakes. Moon cakes were originally tributes to the Moon God. Later gazing at the moon and sharing moon cakes on the Mid-Autumn Festival became rituals of a family reunio. Moon cakes must be shared and cut evenly so each family member has a piece, no more, no less. This is called, "reunio cake sharing".

To this day, moon cakes have different ingredients and tastes. People in the North prefer sweet moon cakes with bean paste or jujube fillings, while those in the South prefer salty ones and even put bacon or salted yolks in the stuffing. Moon cakes, with exquisite fillings and beautiful presentations, are very popular gifts.

浪漫的传说 Romantic Legend

Four thousand years ago, there was a hero called Hou Yi, who shot nine suns from the sky to protect the earth from the heat. He had a beautiful wife names Chang'e. The couple lived happily together. One day, an immortal emperor gave Houyi a pill which could grant eternal life as a reward. Houyi then let Chang'e store the pill in her jewelry box. But one of Houyi's apprentices, Peng Meng, discovered this secret. One day Houyi was out, so Peng Meng broke into Chang'e's room and forced her to give him the pill. Chang'e knew she couldn't fight him alone, so she swallowed the pill immediately. Then she found herself floating in the air and flying further away. She did not want to leave her husband, so she stopped at the moon. After Houyi knew what happened, he was very angry. He looked up the night sky and discovered that inside the moon there is a lady's shadow which looked like Chang'e. When people knew what happened, they all prayed in the yard for the pretty and kind girl. Since then, the worship of the moon has become a folk custom.

诗 A Poem

Poets have their own way to express their love of the moon. There are many poems in Chinese literature appreciating the moon. One of the best examples of those literary works about moon is the lyrics "Thinking of You", written by Su Shi during the Song Dynasty. In it, Su Shi first wonders about the mystery of the moon and yearns for what it represents. Then he expresses how he misses his brother, who he hasn't seen for seven years.

苏轼《水调歌头》(林语堂 译)

明月几时有？
How rare the moon, so round and clear!

把酒问青天。
With cup in hand, I ask of the blue sky,

不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年？
"I do not know in the celestial sphere
What name this festive night goes by?"

我欲乘风归去，
I want to fly home, riding the air,

又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。
But fear the ethereal cold up there,
The jade and crystal mansions are so high!

起舞弄清影，何似在人间。
Dancing to my shadow, I feel no longer the mortal tie.

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。
She rounds the vermilion tower,
Stoops to silk-pad doors,
Shines on those who sleepless lie.

不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？
Why does she, bearing us no grudge,
Shine upon our parting, reunio deny?

人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。
But rare is perfect happiness--
The moon does wax, the moon does wane,
And so men meet and say goodbye.

但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。
I only pray our life be long,
And our souls together heavenward fly!

歌 A Song

The above poem has a pop version as a song sung by Faye Wang, and it has been given a different name 但愿人长久(dàn yuàn rén zhǎng jiǔ) Never Part With Your Beloved Ones. Let's enjoy the song.