The Chinese Moon Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most popular festivals in that country. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. The Chinese Moon Festival 2011 falls on September 12. It is associated with the round moon on full moon day. The shape of the moon on this day is symbolically related to a family reunion. So, the Chinese Moon Festival (or the Harvest Moon) is usually celebrated with a family gathering and a special meal with the family members.
Chinese Moon Festival Celebrations
On the Chinese Moon Festival date, people have lots to celebrate with fun and enthusiasm. Get an idea about how they enjoy the Chinese Moon Festival 2011.
Offering sacrifices or appreciating the moon: Appreciating the moonlight during the Chinese Moon Festival or Autumn Moon Festival has been a common practice since the ancient times.
However, most people currently appreciate the moon instead of offering their sacrifices on the Chinese Moon Festival date. What people do now is that they invite their dear ones and sit around a table, thus eating and talking merrily with each other. They also admire the moon and wish that their dear ones find good luck and prosperity coming their way forever and always.
Eating Chinese moon cakes and a special meal:
The moon shaped cakes are a specialty of the Mid-Autumn Festival or Autumn Moon Festival. So, when you celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival 2011, include the moon shaped cakes in your food menu and share a meal with your loved ones.
The Chinese moon cake is basically a cookie which has fillings like sugar, lotus-seed paste, and nuts. You may also include sesame, egg yolk, and Chinese dates as the cake fillings. Aside from the Chinese moon cakes, you may include water caltrope, rice paddies combined with sweet basil, and cooked taro in your menu. Traditionally, most families share a meal consisting of red color food like lobster or salmon. This is because the red color is associated with good luck and fortune.
Exploring places and events:
Once you’ve shared a meal with your dear ones, you may go out to explore tourist attractions. Also, you may enjoy dragon and lion dances in squares and parks that are decorated with lights. According to Chinese legends, the dragon dance could be effective in preventing the spread of diseases. The lion dance is all about praying for rain. This form of dance reflects an encounter between a lion and a clown.
Aside from watching the dragon and lion dance, you can explore a popular lantern show held in Guangzhou, located in West China. In this show, a number of lanterns having different shapes are lighted up to add to the beauty of the moonlit night.
There are several other events held in different regions of China during the Autumn Moon Festival. If you’d like to check out the Chinese Moon Festival 2011 in East China, you should watch the Qiantang River’s flood tide. The ebb and flow of the tide match the movements of the moon, which happen due to the force of gravitation. The tide is really fantastic to watch out for.
Creating lanterns: The children can make colorful lanterns having a variety of shapes. Then they float the lanterns on rivers and wait until the light disappears. The children also make Kongming lanterns which are capable of flying. What actually happens is that the air within the lanterns gets heated up due to the burning candles, and this makes them rise up high on the sky. So, if you’d like your kids to enjoy the Chinese Moon Festival 2011, encourage them to create colorful lanterns and participate in the festivity.
Burning of incense on altars: In Shanghai, incense is burnt on altars to celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival. The most spectacular view of the incense altars can be seen from
Nanyuan ('South Garden') in Shanghai. The altars are usually decorated with images of the Moon Palace and pavilions. The Dragon Gate and Kuixing (the Daoist God of fate) are placed on the altar. Colorful banners and flags are kept above the altar. The entire scene is just fantastic to watch out for.
How couples enjoy the Moon Festival: The Chinese Autumn Festival offers a perfect ambience for lovers and romantic couples. They can spend the moonlit night watching the sky, eating moon cakes, and getting a taste of good-quality wine.
The Chinese Harvest Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is celebrated with great fun by people of all ages. While elders plan a family reunion and prepare exciting recipes, the children parade with multi-colored lanterns till late night. Most families go out on the streets to gaze the moon and enjoy the beauty of the moonlit night. This is how the festival is enjoyed every year in China. You too can celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival 2011 in a similar way, thus involving your family and dear ones on this special occasion.
