The Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar. In our Gregorian calendar, the festival falls sometime in mid-September. The Mid-Autumn festival is an evening celebration where families light lanterns, eat mooncakes and gaze at the moon.
The Moon
On Mid-Autumn's night the moon is at the lowest angle to the horizon, and the ancient Chinese observed that the moon seemed to be at its largest and brightest. On this night, they paid special homage to the moon and the goddess Chang-E, who lived on the moon. The ancients found the moon to have more spiritual significance than even the sun. As farmers, they found that farming was closer in rhythm to the cycles of the moon and they even developed a calendar that was based on the moon.
Chang-E and Hou Yi
According to Chinese mythology, there was once a time when ten suns circled the earth. The heat scorched the land and was oppressive to the people. One day, a master archer named Hou Yi came to the rescue as he took his bow and arrows and shot down nine out of the ten suns.
As a reward for his act, he was given an a magic potion by the Queen Mother of the West. The magic potion was a drink that would make him immortal. Although Hou Yi wanted to be immortal, he did not want to leave his beautiful wife, Chang-E, behind. Hou Yi then told Chang-E of his dilemma and then he proceeded to fast and wait for one year before deciding whether to drink it. One day while her husband was out, Chang-E, found the magic potion and drank it.
Immediately, she rose into the sky, where she first turned into a rabbit and then into a three-legged toad. Chang-E then settled on the moon. Recognizing her mistake, she asked the Queen Mother of the West to make her husband immortal too. The Queen Mother granted Chang-E her wish, but to punish her for her selfishness, she separated the two. Chang-E now rules over the lunar kingdom, while Hou Yi rules over the solar kingdom. They are only allowed to meet once a year on the 15th day of the 8th month.
Mooncakes
Mooncakes are round pastries that are about and inch in height. Inside, they are filled with lotus seed or red bean paste, orange peel, melon seeds, and salted duck's egg yoke.
Mooncakes are often associated with the liberation of China from the dreaded Mongol masters in the 14th century. To prevent subversion, the Mongolian army billeted their soldiers in the households of Chinese civilians. The Mongols thought that once carefully guarded, the Chinese would not have the opportunity to revolt. But the Chinese cleverly hid messages inside the mooncakes revealing and announcing the day of revolution. With everyone informed, the day of revolution finally arrived and the Chinese were able to bring down the Mongolian Empire in 1368.
Other fruits
Fruits served on this evening are round to symbolize the fullness of the moon. Included are apples, pronounced as ping in Chinese, which sounds like "peace". Gourds are also served. And because they are hard and sturdy, it would symbolize family strength and unity. Pomegranates, because of its many seeds, would mean that the family would have many children.
Pears on the other hand, were not served. In Chinese, it is pronounced as li, which also sounded too much like "separation".