![]() ![]() In the agricultural society of premodern China, the Mid-Autumn Festival was linked with harvesting season celebrations (opens in new tab). To this day, Chinese people continue this tradition, making offerings of mooncakes in commemoration of the goddess as they make wishes or pray for familial unity and harmony. The local people sympathize with him and also start making the same offerings. On his part, Yi makes sacrifices to his departed wife that feature cakes and fruits. She then chooses the moon as her immortal abode, to be close to her beloved husband. She digests the elixir only in order to prevent it from falling in the hands of an evil person. She is described as a model of feminine beauty and elegance. Later versions of the story, still told today, present a more flattering image of the goddess. She then escaped to the moon, where she was condemned to a lonely existence. (Image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art)Ĭhang'e is said to have stolen the elixir of immortality from her husband, Yi, the great archer and hero of Chinese mythology (opens in new tab). ![]() The earliest versions (opens in new tab) of the story can be traced back to the Warring States (opens in new tab), a significant historical period between 475-221 B.C., marked by recurrent warfare, bureaucratic reforms and political consolidation. These are notable elements of popular lore, rooted in China’s long history and rich cultural traditions.Ĭustomarily, the Mid-Autumn Festival is associated with the popular legend about Chang'e (嫦娥), the goddess of the moon. The legends behind the festivalĪs a scholar of Chinese religions (opens in new tab), I am especially fascinated by the legends associated with the origins of the festival. These are created by commercial ice cream companies in order to tap into the lucrative mooncake market and cater to contemporary tastes. It is even possible to find ice cream mooncakes (opens in new tab). The yellow egg yolk adds another layer of symbolism, as it resembles the round moon in the sky.Īdditionally, there are contemporary flavors (opens in new tab) such as chocolate, coffee or green tea. There are many regional variations (opens in new tab), some of which contain a preserved egg yolk in the middle. Usually, mooncakes come with traditional fillings (opens in new tab), such as red bean or white lotus seed paste. The roundness of the full moon, in turn, symbolizes wholeness by extension, it conveys a sense of spiritual contentment, coming together and reunion. The round shape of the mooncake is meant to evoke an image of the full moon. The gifting and eating of mooncakes (opens in new tab) is arguably the most emblematic feature of the festival. (Image credit: VCG via Getty Images) Mooncakes: Tradition and innovation 20, 2021, during celebrations of the Moon Festival. Get to know more stories about Mid-Autumn Festival including the Jade Rabbit.Moon cakes on display at Laojun Mountain on Sept. Because of the overdose, Chang'e kept on floating until she landed on the moon, instead of just floating up to heaven in the clouds. Unable to wait for her return to heaven, Chang'e swallowed the entire vial of elixir. Upon arriving home, Hou Yi stored the vial in a case and warned Chang'e not to open the case, before going off on urgent business. The Queen Mother warned Hou Yi that the elixir must be shared between him and his wife or else they would not become immortal together. The Jade Emperor was so sad and angry at his nine sons' deaths that he punished Hou Yi and Chang'e by making them live as mere mortals on earth.ĭistressed by his wife's grief over becoming an ordinary mortal, Hou Yi journeyed to meet the Queen Mother of the West and requested a vial of her elixir. So, Hou Yi shot down nine of the sons, leaving just one. The Jade Emperor asked Hou Yi to stop his 10 sons ruining the earth. One day, the ten sons of the Jade Emperor transformed into ten suns, causing the earth to scorch. In another popular version of the legend, Chang'e and her husband Hou Yi were immortals living in heaven. Chang'e and Houyi the Archer (Version 2) Want to share the Mid-Autumn Festival story with your family? The 3-minute video below will show you all about it. Since then, on lunar month 8 day 15 every year, which has become Mid-Autumn Festival, people look forward to their reunion (and their own family reunions). Worshipping the moon and eating mooncakes have become traditions of Mid-Autumn Festival. Moved by their true love, the Mother of the Moon allowed Chang'e to reunite with Hou Yi every year on the full moon of the eighth lunar month. He caught sight of a swaying figure that was exactly like Chang'e. Then he displayed the fruits and cakes that Chang'e had enjoyed to convey to Chang'e that he missed her. He shouted to the sky and surprisingly discovered the moon was extremely bright that night. Hou Yi was heartbroken when he was told what had happened to Chang'e. ![]()
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