subject: China Celestial Body Overhead Festival Background [print this page] The Moon Festival, commonly known as the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month, it is dependant upon the lunar calendar and is the first full moon in September commonly. In 2008, it falls on September 14th. It is during Autumn and is a harvest event. With grain ordinarily being harvested in the North and Rice in the South of China. It's the Chinese equivalent of Thanksgiving. In rural China, the Moon Festival remembered a plentiful harvest, as the first Thanksgiving did for the Pilgrims.
Star in the Celestial body overhead Festival
Female Chang Im
The myth of Lady Chang Er, daughter of the River God dates back to around 2170 BC. Her husband, Hou Yi shoots down the 9 additional suns that were threatening the Earth, and as the reward he was granted an elixir of life by the Yellow Emperor. However he became a tyrant, and Lady Chang Er to her their men and women, consumed the potion in one tale, a pill and a magic peach. There's a different story of her taking the elixir pill of life to have a long lasting in the next version of this story, Lady Chang Er drinking the pill of elixir to live forever. After taking it, she floats up to the moon, and coughed up the pill which created the Jade Rabbit, commonly known as the white rabbit and Moon Hare. The Jade Rabbit has ever since tried to create the eternally potion. Once you see the moon shines so shiny, it's believed Hou Yi as he became the god of the sun go to his wife lady Chang Er and express the love. The Moon Festival was also a time ordinarily for family occasions and reading Moon Poetry. Many men and women looking at the moon see a rabbit on the moon.
Tang Emperor Xuan Zong
Another myth is the Tang Emperor Xuan Zong had the help from a Taoist priest, who threw up his walking stick that created a passage to the moon. The emperor followed the priest up the bridge and went into the moon palace, where he discovered the jade rabbit attempting to make the elixir of life. The emperor spotted moon maidens dancing and singing music and on his return created a song and dance part called "Rainbow Petticoats and Feather Dresses".
Wu Company, your Moon's Woodcutter
Another myth is of Wu Gang, the Moon's Woodcutter. He attempts many times to chop down the Moon's tree of eternal life, that simply amazingly cures after any cut of his. He was sentenced to this by the Jade Emperor for selfishly seeking the elixir of eternal life.
Tradition t Foodstuff in the Celestial body overhead Festival
Taro, Pomelo (China Grapefruit), along with Snails. The Taro because it avoid Chinese troops from starvations, Pomelo because sweet fruit is believed to discourage evil and it has a round structure. Snails as an indication of the earth's wealth. Dishes served is generally 5, 7, or 9 simply because these are lucky yang numbers.
Celestial body overhead Cakes
Moon Cakes indicate both long life and best shape. They are impacted with the Moon Goddess, a grove, Jade Rabbit, or a toad. The centers can consist of red bean paste (sweat), lotus seed paste, melon, dried fruits, coconut, pineapple, and in most cases have an egg inside. In the 14th Century, information were contained within the Moon Cakes for secret communication to stop a rebellion from the dominating Mongols that get rid of them with the Ming Empire. Moon Cakes are credited with the glory.
Celebrating your Celestial body overhead Festival
You'll find so many Moon festivals and live shows in the united states and Canada that most people look at. Mooncakes are offered by Chinese Bakeries and provided as the right gifts by business for consumption on the day of the Moon Festival. Moon Poetry may also be read under the full moon. Young children used to get numerous designs of clay toys.
