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Story 11: Mid-Autumn Festival
Story 11: Mid-Autumn Festival
Author: Anonymous
The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month is the Mid-Autumn Festival.
This is always regarded as the most humane and poetic festival. It is said that during the festive season, we miss our loved ones even more. Of course, the Mid-Autumn Festival misses me more deeply, especially when the bright moon hangs high.
The reason why the Mid-Autumn Festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival is because the day of August 15th in the lunar calendar falls in the Three Autumn System. On this day, the full moon in the sky is extraordinarily bright, big, and round, so this day is also regarded as a good day for marriage.
Speaking of the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are many different legends and myths circulating in the world. Among them are stories such as Chang Moth flying to the moon, Zhu Yuanzhang’s moon cake uprising, and Tang Minghuang’s visit to the Moon Palace.
The most familiar one is of course Chang’e’s flight to the moon. There are many versions of the story of Chang’e stealing her husband Hou Yi’s elixir of immortality and flying to the moon palace. In earlier records, Chang’e secretly ate the fairy medicine and turned into a toad, called the Moon Spirit.
After flying to the moon, the moon palace where Chang’e lived was actually a lonely place, with nothing but a laurel tree and a rabbit. But there is another theory that there is a man named Wu Gang in the Moon Palace.
Emperor Ming of Tang visited the Moon Palace. It is said that Emperor Ming of Tang, who was the emperor, was very obsessed with Chang’e. One day he went to the Moon Palace and saw a jade rabbit and a group of fairies who were good at singing and dancing.
Zhu Yuanzhang successfully overthrew the Mongols and established the Ming Dynasty. According to folk legend, he relied on mooncakes as a communication tool. Zhu Yuanzhang took the lead in seeking justice and stuffed notes into the stuffing of mooncakes, calling on everyone to revolt on time.
One of the theories about the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival is that the 15th day of the eighth lunar month happens to be the time when rice matures, and every family worships the God of the Earth. The Mid-Autumn Festival may be the legacy of the Autumn Announcement.
On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, in addition to offering sacrifices, there are also mooncakes and lanterns for the festival. Of course, the person worshiped is Chang’e in the sky, and some people call her the Moon Mother. The old man said that children should not point at the moon with their fingers, otherwise, their ears will be cut off.
To this day, not many people know the original meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival. For the new generation, the most memorable Mid-Autumn Festival is the mooncakes and lanterns. Of course, a festival with a full moon in the sky is a great day for people to reunite.
The Legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival
According to legend, in ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky, which scorched the earth to smoke and dried up the seawater. It seemed that the people could no longer live their lives. This incident alarmed a hero named Hou Yi. He climbed to the top of the Kunlun Mountains, exerted his magical power, drew his magical bow, and let down nine extra suns in one breath, saving the people from the fire and water. Soon, Hou Yi married a beautiful wife named Chang’e.
One day, Hou Yi went to the Kunlun Mountains to visit friends and seek enlightenment. By chance, he met the Queen Mother who was passing by. He asked the Queen Mother for a packet of elixir. He was convinced that if she took this medicine, she could ascend to heaven and become immortal immediately. However, Hou Yi was reluctant to abandon his wife, so he had to Give the elixir to Chang’e for collection.
Unexpectedly, this incident was seen by Hou Yi’s retainer Peng Meng. After Hou Yi went out, Peng Meng threatened Chang’e to hand over the elixir. Chang’e knew that she was no match for Peng Meng, so she made a prompt decision in this critical moment, took out the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. After Chang’e swallowed the medicine, her body immediately flew off the ground and flew to the sky. Because Chang’e was concerned about her husband, she flew down to the moon closest to the human world and became immortal.
After Hou Yi came back, the maids cried and told everything. The grief-stricken Hou Yi looked up at the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife. At this time, she was surprised to find that the moon tonight was particularly round and bright, and there was a swaying figure that looked exactly like Chang’e.
Hou Yi hurriedly ordered his people to put on the incense table, put on Chang’e’s favorite sweetmeats and fresh fruits, and offer sacrifices to Chang’e in the moon palace from a distance.
After the common people heard about Chang’e flying to the moon and becoming immortal, they placed incense tables under the moon one after another and prayed to the kind-hearted Chang Jiu for good luck and peace. From then on, the custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.
