Most people would argue that eastern festivals have distinctive features compared to western festivals. Though similarities exist, such as family-gathering, decorating the streets and drinking wines, most eastern festivals are celebrations in honor of a deity (i.e. Navratri in India), or a blessing (i.e. Harvest Festivals). In China, one of the most celebrated festivals is known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. Similar to other festivals, it is believed that the Mid-Autumn Festival affects the social setting within communities in China, especially because it is one of the most celebrated festivals. To understand the social relevance of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I interviewed a person who is knowledgeable about the said festival. Jia Chung is a 19-year old Chinese friend of mine who has spent most of his vacations in China. When I told Ms. Chung that I want to interview her about the Mid-Autumn Festival, she smiled and told me that she loves the festival.
Even before I started the interview, I knew that the Mid-Autumn Festival goes by many names, such as the Moon Cake Festival, the Harvest Moon Festival, or simply as the Moon Festival. According to Ms. Chung, the Chinese have been celebrating the festival for probably more than two millennia (personal communication, February 17, 2016). According to my research, the Mid-Autumn Festival probably started during the Shang Dynasty (~1500 B.C.). During the ancient times, people in China celebrated after bountiful harvests. An important tradition during those times was the worshiping of the moon, specifically the full moon which happens after harvests (Huang, 1991). I asked my friend what the moon symbolizes to the ancient Chinese people, and she told me that the moon was associated to healing or rejuvenation. In addition, she told me that the primitive tradition of worshiping the moon during the festival was to honor the Moon Goddess, known as Chang'e (personal communication, February 17, 2016).
Moreover, Ms. Chung told me that the festival existed more than two millennia, but may probably gained popularity in China after the Chinese sensationalized the serving of moon cakes during the festival (personal communication, February 17, 2016). During the interview, my friend told me that, though the worshiping of the moon during the mid-autumn of the year existed a long time ago, it was only after the overthrowing of the Yuan Dynasty (~1270 to ~ 1370) that the moon cakes were popularized (personal communication, February 17, 2016). Moon cakes were a typical food during the festival as early as the Tang Dynasty, but after overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty, serving moon cakes became a patriotic tradition. According to historians, rebels would secretly communicate by attaching letters to the moon cakes that will then be sent to their friends, which then ultimately led to the massacre of the Mongol overlords. Since then, serving moon cakes during the festival became a tradition (Huang, 1991).
In addition, Ms. Chung told me that the festival evolved into a colorful street festival, where every street was decorated with colorful lanterns of all sizes. When I asked her what the lanterns meant during the festival, she told me that the lanterns had no connection to the worshiping of the moon but may have been popularized because hanging lanterns was a typical tradition to most Chinese festivals. Various Chinese festivals feature decorating the streets, homes and rivers with lanterns, such as the Lantern Festival and the Ghost Festival. Over time, the Mid-Autumn Festival also became associated with lanterns (personal communication, February 17, 2016). She also stated that the lanterns adds a romantic ambiance to the festival. In some areas, the Mid-Autumn Festival becomes a popular dating tradition. Moreover, most couples celebrate marriages during the festival because the full moon symbolizes fertility. Furthermore, the festival symbolizes the opportunity of the guys to woo the girls (personal communication, February 17, 2016).
Finally, I asked her about the other traditions during the festival, aside from the moon, the moon cakes, and the lanterns. According to her, the festival usually features the serving of dishes that symbolize reunion because the festival is also known as the Reunion Festival. These dishes include lotus roots and watermelons in the shape of a lotus. Moreover, the timing of the festival coincides with the harvesting of the cassia wine, which is also known as the "reunion wine" (personal communication, February 17, 2016). In the final moments of our interview, I told Ms. Chung that I am interested to see the festival on my own. She told me that the Mid-Autumn Festival is also celebrated in other countries, but most of them are in East Asia. However, she told me with full confidence that if ever I see the festival in China, it would be the best Mid-Autumn Festival experience (personal communication, February 17, 2016).
References
Huang, Shaorong. (1991). Chinese Traditional Festivals. The Journal of Popular Culture, 25 (3): 163-180.
