Moon-Related Festivals And Celebrations Around The World
Mid-Autumn Festival in China: The Origin and Celebrations
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most significant festivals celebrated in Chinese culture. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which typically lands in September or October, when the moon appears at its brightest and fullest. It is also known as the Moon Festival or Zhongqiu Festival and is celebrated with great pomp and splendor across China and in different parts of the world.
The Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival
The celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival dates back more than 3,000 years to the ancient times of the Zhou Dynasty in China. It was believed that ancient Chinese people celebrated the harvest while offering thanks to the moon goddess for bountiful crops. Legend says that during the Tang dynasty, the celebration became a major event, with the Emperor hosting moon-viewing parties to celebrate it. However, the most popular romantic legend behind the festival is the story of Chang'e, the lunar goddess of immortality, who flew to the moon with her pet Jade Rabbit after drinking the elixir of life to avoid being kidnapped by an evil emperor. It is believed that Chang'e still lives in the moon palace along with her pet rabbit and people offer mooncakes and other delicacies to her every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Celebrations of Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions, expressing gratitude, and praying for good fortune. Homes are decorated with lanterns, banners, and colorful decorations, and people prepare elaborate feasts with mooncakes as the center stage. Mooncakes are round pastries that are filled with different kinds of sweet or savory fillings and often given as gifts to family members, friends, and acquaintances. They symbolize unity and completeness.
Another important highlight of the Mid-Autumn Festival is the moon gazing activity. People spend the evening sitting outside admiring the light of the full moon, sometimes even reciting traditional poems and songs. Children carry lit lanterns in different shapes and sizes, such as animals or cartoon characters. They often participate in the dragon dances and lion dances where performers dress up in colorful costumes and masks. The celebrations culminate with a spectacular fireworks display, which lights up the night sky.
Despite the festival's association with ancient mythology, it has evolved over the years and adapted to modern-day China's changing cultural landscape. In recent times, people have found unique ways to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and incorporate innovative elements into traditional practices.
For example, some brands have started introducing special mooncakes with trendy flavors and designs, such as durian flavor or Starbucks mooncakes. Additionally, some technological advancements have made moon gazing and lantern displays more intriguing by using sound and light technology to create a more immersive experience.
Chuseok Festival in Korea: Customs and Traditions
Chuseok is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving and is one of the most significant cultural holidays celebrated in Korea. It often falls around September or October and is sometimes referred to as the Harvest Moon Festival. The Chuseok Festival is a time for Korean families to come together and express their gratitude for the abundance of their harvest, their ancestors' blessings, and pray for their health and well-being.
The Lunar calendar's lunar date is based on Chuseok, a holiday that falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. On this day, people start by visiting their ancestors' graves and cleaning them. They perform a ritual called seongmyo' where they bow to pay their respect and offer offerings of food and liquor. Later, families gather together to prepare and share a special feast called 'Charye.' Charye is a ritual of offerings to the ancestors and usually consists of fruits, vegetables, and prepared dishes as a sign of respect for their contributions to the family history.
One of Chuseok's most unique aspects is the traditional Korean folk games that people play during this festive season. These games are enjoyable, and they help families bond while also celebrating their Korean roots. Some of the traditional games that are played during Chuseok include Ganggangsullae, Neolttwigi, and Ttakji-chigi. Ganggangsullae is a unique Korean dance where women hold hands and rotate in a circle, singing songs and enjoying the full moon's beauty. Neolttwigi is a Korean see-saw game played by two people, while Ttakji-chigi is a game where children play with paper "tigers" and try to knock each other's tigers off the ground by striking them with fold-able paper-fans.
Raksha Bandhan in India: The Role of the Moon in the Celebration
Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, is one of the most renowned festivals of India that falls on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Shravana. It is a festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Women tie a sacred thread called 'Rakhi' on their brothers' wrists, and the brothers, in turn, promise to protect and care for their sisters throughout their lives. The bond symbolizes love, affection, and mutual trust among siblings.
The moon, or the full moon known as Poornima in Hindi, is an essential element of Rakhi celebrations in India. It is believed that the full moon's energy radiates immense power, blessings, and positive energy, making it an auspicious day to celebrate the bond between siblings. The full moon represents the energy of the divine feminine, which is seen as a symbolic protector of women.
On the day of Raksha Bandhan, people start their day by taking a bath and putting on new clothes. Women perform a small prayer to the moon-god before tying the sacred thread on their brothers' wrists. The brothers offer various gifts like chocolates, money, or clothes, as a token of love. Later in the day, all family members gather and exchange sweets and other delicacies. They spend time together, rejoicing in the abundance of life's blessings and expressing gratitude.
Lantern Festival in Taiwan: The Significance of the Full Moon
The Lantern Festival, which is a significant festival in Taiwan, falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which is usually in February or early March. The festival marks the end of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations and is a time to celebrate the first full moon of the New Year. It is one of the most colorful and vibrant festivals in Taiwan, consisting of lively parades, music, dance, and delicious food items.
The Lantern Festival's primary significance lies in the full moon, which is believed to be a symbol of perfection and unity in East Asian cultures. It is said that the full moon during the Lantern Festival represents the end of the year's old cycle, with new beginnings ushering in with vibrant colors and lights symbolizing hope and joy.
The Lantern Festival in Taiwan is known for its spectacular display of handmade lanterns, which are considered as a symbol of joy, good fortune, and unity. The lanterns' intricate designs and colors represent not just beauty but also hold significant meanings. The floating lantern represents letting go of the past, releasing negative energy, and welcoming the positive energy of the New Year. Additionally, hanging lanterns represent hopes for prosperity and a bright future.
The Lantern Festival is celebrated with various cultural activities, including lion and dragon dances, singing, and performances that showcase Chinese culture's vibrancy. Another unique tradition of the Lantern Festival is 'tangyuan,' a sweet glutinous rice ball that symbolizes reunion and completeness. Families come together to make tangyuan and enjoy them while basking in the full moon's light.
Tsukimi Festival in Japan: The Lunar-Centric Celebration of Autumn
Tsukimi Festival, also known as Moon-Viewing Festival, is one of the unique festivals in Japan. It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, which usually falls in September or October. The festival celebrates the abundance of autumn harvest and the beauty of the full moon.
Historically, the moon has played an essential role in Japanese culture, and Tsukimi Festival is celebrated to honor the moon in its full glory. It is a time to appreciate the beauty of nature and express gratitude for the bountiful harvest.
The Tsukimi festival is characterized by several customs and traditions. During the festival, people decorate their homes with asters, pampas grass, and other seasonal plants to create an autumnal ambiance. These decorations symbolize the harvest of the season and are supposed to bring good luck to the household.
The highlight of the festival is moon viewing. Japanese people consider the full moon as a source of power and a symbol of beauty. During the Tsukimi festival, people gather outside in the evening to admire the beauty of the full moon. They offer sake, dango (sweet rice dumplings), and other treats to the moon as an expression of gratitude.
Another key feature of the Tsukimi Festival is the celebration of the Rabbit on the moon. According to the popular Japanese folktale, the rabbit is pounding mochi (rice cake) on the moon. To pay homage to this tale, various food items are shaped in the form of rabbits, and children dress up as rabbits.
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