The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Here's an overview of its origins and a popular legend associated with it:
**Origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival:**
1. **Ancient Harvest Festival**: One of the oldest beliefs is that the festival originated as a harvest celebration. It's a time when the crops are ripe, and people gather to give thanks to nature and the gods for a bountiful harvest.
2. **Imperial Festivity**: Another theory suggests that the festival was first established during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) by Emperor Li Yu, who held a grand celebration to mark the autumn equinox and express gratitude for the year's harvest.
3. **Moon Goddess Celebration**: Some scholars propose that the festival was influenced by the worship of the Moon Goddess, Chang'e, which dates back to ancient Chinese astrology and mythology.
**The Legend of Chang'e:**
The most famous legend connected with the Mid-Autumn Festival revolves around the Moon Goddess, Chang'e.
According to the tale, there was an immortal named Hou Yi, who was a skilled archer and known for shooting down nine suns to save the world from drought. Hou Yi was a respected figure, and he was granted a potion of immortality by the Heavenly Emperor. However, Hou Yi had two students, and he decided to give the potion to his most virtuous student, Chang'e.
When Hou Yi was away, his jealous wife, Chang'er, drank the potion all by herself. Instantly, Chang'er's body floated up into the heavens, landing on the moon. Since then, Chang'er has become the Moon Goddess, living on the moon with the hare, her companion in her celestial abode.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time when families come together to enjoy the full moon, which symbolizes the beauty and mystery of Chang'e's home in the sky. They often gather to eat mooncakes, round pastries that are said to symbolize the full moon and the unity of the family. Other activities include lighting lanterns, playing with "sky lanterns," and appreciating the moon's beauty together.
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