Facts
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Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) is a harvest festival, celebrated in China and other East Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Singapore. It’s always in September or October, on month 8 day 15 of the Chinese lunar calendar.
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It is celebrated when the moon is believed to be the biggest and fullest, and mooncake is the main most characteristic festival food.
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Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival in China after Chinese New Year. To the Chinese, the festival means family reunion, harvest, and harmony. It is celebrated when the moon is full, and Chinese people believe a full moon is a symbol of reunion, harmony, and happiness.
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Name in Chinese: 中秋节 Zhōngqiūjié
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How it began: moon worship, over 3,000 years
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Must-eat food: mooncakes
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Popular activities: admiring the full moon, eating mooncakes, family gathering
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Greetings: "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival" (中秋节快乐 zhōng qiū jié kuài lè).
Legends related to 中秋节
Chinese Names, Pronunciations, and Meanings
Hou Yi: 后羿 Hòu Yì [surname Hou] + [name of legendary archer, Yi]
Chang'e: 嫦娥 Cháng'é [the Moon Lady] + beautiful
Pang Meng: 逄蒙 Páng Méng [surname Pang] + [to cover/receive/cheat]
Wu Gang: 吴刚 Wú Gāng [surname Wu] + strong
Chang'e Flying to the Moon
The most famous Mid-Autumn Festival story is Chang'e flying to the moon. The story goes like this…
Long, long ago, there were ten suns in the sky. The suns burnt all the plants and people were dying on Earth, until one day excellent archer Hou Yi used his bow and arrows to shoot down nine of the suns. Earth was saved, and people flocked to learn archery from Hou Yi.
The Western Queen Mother gave Hou Yi a bottle of elixir that could make one person immortal. Although Hou Yi did want to become immortal, he wanted to stay with his wife Chang'e more. Therefore, he just kept it at home.
Pang Meng, one of his students, tried to seize the elixir when Hou Yi wasn't at home. Faced with greedy Pang Meng, Chang'e decided to drink the elixir. It made her fly to the moon where she would stay forever.
To remember her and pray to her, Hou Yi and others started to worship the moon with many offerings.
Chang'e's image usually appears on Mid-Autumn Festival pictures. Children in China are told that Chang'e is still living on the moon. And on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon is bright, children try their best to find the shape of Chang'e on the moon.
Wu Gang Chopping the Cherry Bay
The second story is also set on the moon. The story goes like this…
Wu Gang the woodman wanted immortality, but he didn't try hard enough to learn the necessary magic.
The Emperor of Heaven got angry with him because of his attitude. In order to punish him, the Emperor of Heaven planted a huge cherry bay tree, 1,665 meters (about a mile) high, on the moon and toldWu Gang that if he could cut it down, he could become immortal.
Wu Gang thought this was his chance to try hard at something he was good at to gain immortality. However, the Emperor of Heaven had made it so that the cherry bay healed every time Wu Gang chopped it!
Today, people still believe an obvious shadow on the moon is made by the huge cherry bay.
The Jade Rabbit
The jade rabbit is the main character in the third famous Chinese Mid-Autumn story. Chinese children are told that the jade rabbit is on the moon with Chang'e. Here's the story…
Once upon a time, there were three animals living in a forest: a fox, a rabbit, and a monkey.
Three immortals, pretending to be beggars, went through the forest asking for food. The fox and the monkey quickly offered them food.
The rabbit, who was less resourceful but very pious, felt guilty. She said, “I'm so sorry I couldn't offer any food to help you, but I can give myself”, and jumped into the fire.
The three immortals were moved by the rabbit's sacrifice, and decided make the rabbit an immortal, sending her to live in the Moon Palace.
From Chinahighlights.com
嫦娥The Legend of the Mooncake Festival: The Story of Chang-E 英文字幕 古乐
嫦娥：搞怪版本结束2：27，后面太复杂
http://viewpure.com/J4ho8ekoRv8?start=0&end=0
嫦娥故事游戏版31/32秒开始
http://viewpure.com/hMAvifYLc_M?start=0&end=0
中秋节Mid-Autumn Festival | An introduction (Hello China) 中文字幕 古乐 英文声
http://viewpure.com/ndknxk4v4QY?start=0&end=0
做月饼 How to Make Traditional Mooncake Step by Step | Mykitchen101en 音乐
月饼 Crazy Mooncake Flavors You Should Try... Or Avoid
http://viewpure.com/3EpJ9n5Pakk?start=0&end=0
assign students a task to work in a group to create a Mid-Autumn Festival display.
From <http://www.creativechinese.com/category/art-and-craft/classroom-displays/>
