Moon worship also played a part food was offered to the moon, and lanterns were carried to symbolise its light.
#MIDAUTUMN FESTIVAL LANTERNS FULL#
The festival was traditionally a thanksgiving celebration, with families gathering to eat mooncakes and admire the full moon. From that time on, the Chinese have baked and eaten mooncakes to commemorate the event during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the Yuan Dynasty, the Han Chinese used the sweet treats to hide secret messages as part of their plan to overthrow the Mongols who were ruling at the time. There’s another popular story behind the origins of mooncakes. In her honour, people eat mooncakes and look at the moon in hopes of seeing her. In order to protect the elixir from being stolen, Chang’E swallowed it, causing her to fly to the moon, where she has remained forever. Hou Yi became a hero after shooting down nine of the ten suns he was given a magical elixir of immortality for his bravery by a goddess. In ancient times, 10 suns are said to have existed, making the heat unbearable. There are lots of legends surrounding this cultural festival, with the following tale of famous archer Hou Yi and his beautiful wife Chang’E one of the popular ones.
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Held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the Chinese calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival traditionally marks and celebrates the end of the Autumn harvest. Here’s the lowdown on the cultural festival’s origins and some fun things to do in this year’s instalment.
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The Mid-Autumn Festival (21 September) is just around the corner! You can expect beautiful lanterns across Chinatown, loads of delish mooncakes to get your hands on, and much more.