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The Magic of Mid-Autumn Festival: Unraveling the Origins and Significance of this Beloved Celebration

The Mid-Autumn Festival, a joyous occasion celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, is a highly anticipated festival for children. But what is the origin of this festival, and why is it so significant?

Administrator

3 August, 2024

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant cultural event for the Vietnamese, with a rich history and traditions. It is a time when families come together to honor their ancestors and celebrate with delicious food and festive activities.

On this day, people prepare special dishes and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. Adults indulge in moon-viewing parties, drinking wine and singing traditional songs, while children carry colorful lanterns, watch lion dances, and enjoy an abundance of sweets and fruits displayed by their parents under the moonlight.

The festival’s origins are steeped in folklore, with several legends associated with it.

1The Legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Tale of the Moon-Visiting Emperor

One such legend revolves around Emperor Ming Huang of the Tang Dynasty. On the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the emperor strolled through the royal garden and encountered a Taoist priest named La Cong Vien, also known as Diệp Pháp Thiện. With his magical powers, the Taoist priest transported the emperor to the moon palace.

There, the emperor beheld an even more breathtaking sight. He delighted in the ethereal music and dance performed by graceful fairies dressed in colorful, flowing robes. Enraptured by the otherworldly beauty and sounds, the emperor lost track of time until the Taoist priest reminded him that dawn was approaching.

The Moon-Visiting Emperor Legend

Upon his return to the earthly realm, the emperor, still enchanted by the celestial experience, commissioned a special dance and music composition to commemorate his magical journey. He ordered that every year, on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the people should hold lantern processions and feasts to mark the occasion, while he and his beloved concubine, Yang Guifei, would drink wine and watch the moon, reminiscing about his extraordinary trip to the moon palace.

Thus, the tradition of lantern processions and festive celebrations during the Mid-Autumn Festival took root in Vietnamese culture.

Some believe that this tradition also stems from the birthday of Emperor Ming Huang. As his birthday fell on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the Tang Dynasty decreed that people throughout the land should hang lanterns and hold feasts to commemorate the occasion.

The Legend of Chang’e and Houyi

Another legend associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival tells the tale of Chang’e and Houyi, a couple who were once immortal gods living on the moon. Houyi, a skilled archer, saved the earth from being scorched by ten suns, the sons of the Jade Emperor, by shooting down nine of them. As a reward, the Jade Emperor bestowed upon him an elixir of immortality.

The Legend of Chang’e and Houyi

Houyi brought the elixir home and hid it in a box, warning his wife, Chang’e, not to open it. However, while he was away, Chang’e’s curiosity got the better of her, and she swallowed the elixir. Just as Houyi returned, it was too late to stop her, and Chang’e ascended to the moon, leaving her husband behind. Despite their mutual longing, Chang’e could not return to the earthly realm.

Houyi, consumed with grief, built a palace in the sun and named it “Yang,” while Chang’e did the same on the moon, naming it “Yin.” Once a year, on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the separated couple would be reunited in happiness.

The Legend of Cuoi, the Moon Festival’s Jester

In Vietnamese folklore, Chang’e is linked with Cuoi, a jovial character who loved to tell tall tales. One day, Chang’e, a beautiful fairy who often defied the rules to play with children on earth, met Cuoi. He taught her a unique way to make delicious and attractive mooncakes by mixing all the ingredients and baking them.

Cuoi teaching Chang’e how to make mooncakes

Chang’e returned to the moon with these mooncakes and entered a baking competition. Cuoi, unable to let go of Chang’e, held onto her hand, and a mysterious force pulled them both, along with the banyan tree at the village entrance, up to the moon. Perched on the tree, Cuoi could see the children playing below, and he would often cry, feeling homesick.

Cuoi sitting on the moon, feeling homesick

Chang’e’s mooncakes won first place, and she wished that every year on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, she and Cuoi could descend to earth to play with the children. Thus, the Jade Emperor named this occasion the “Mid-Autumn Festival,” a joyous celebration for children.

2The Significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival

For the Vietnamese, the Mid-Autumn Festival holds a unique significance that sets it apart from the celebrations of the Chinese community.

Family Reunions on Mid-Autumn Night

In Vietnamese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for families to reunite and honor their ancestors. All family members come together to prepare special dishes and offer sacrifices to their forefathers.

As the night falls and the earth is bathed in golden moonlight, neighborhoods gather to sip green tea, savor mooncakes, and admire the full moon. It is also customary to display an array of fruits and sweets for children to enjoy while they participate in lantern processions, lion dances, and other festive activities.

Additionally, people often buy mooncakes, tea, and wine to offer to their ancestors and present gifts to their elders, teachers, friends, and benefactors. This festival provides an opportunity for younger generations to express gratitude and for people to strengthen their bonds of care and friendship.

Families reunite and honor their ancestors during the Mid-Autumn Festival

Lion Dances During the Mid-Autumn Festival

While the Chinese community often performs lion dances during the Lunar New Year, the Vietnamese reserve this tradition specifically for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The lion is considered a symbol of good luck and fortune.

In the past, the Vietnamese also organized Trống Quân singing during this festival. This traditional singing followed a rhythm of “thình, thùng, thình,” with young men and women singing verses to each other as a form of courtship.

Lion dance during the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival Brings People Together

The Mid-Autumn Festival serves as a platform for young men and women to interact and choose potential life partners. They sing verses in the traditional “lục bát” poetic form or its variations.

Initially, the Mid-Autumn Festival was primarily celebrated by adults who appreciated the beauty of nature, savored mooncakes, and drank tea while admiring the full moon. Over time, it evolved into a children’s festival, although adults continue to play a significant role in the festivities.

Children eagerly anticipate this festival as it offers them a chance to indulge in lantern processions, singing, and feasting on treats prepared by their elders, without the usual restrictions. It is a time when parents allow their children to enjoy sweets without reprimand.

The Mid-Autumn Festival embodies the values of care, filial piety, gratitude, friendship, reunion, and love. It is a cherished tradition that brings people together and strengthens the bonds of community and family.

The Mid-Autumn Festival brings people together

We hope that through this article, you have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Mid-Autumn Festival and its significance in Vietnamese culture!

Frequently asked questions

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional holiday celebrated by Vietnamese and Chinese people, among other East and Southeast Asian cultures. It is a time to gather with family and friends to admire the full moon, which is believed to be at its brightest and roundest of the year. The festival usually falls in September or early October, during the autumn equinox, and is a celebration of the abundance of the autumn harvest, as well as a time to give thanks to the moon goddess Chang’e.

There are several traditions and activities that are part of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. One popular tradition is the display and appreciation of colorful lanterns, which are often shaped like rabbits, moons, or other festive symbols. Families also come together to enjoy special mooncakes, which are sweet pastries with a dense filling, often made with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk, symbolizing the moon. Other activities include lion dances, releasing sky lanterns, and playing games such as guessing lantern riddles.

The festival has its origins in ancient folklore and is associated with several legends. One of the most popular legends is the story of Chang’e, the moon goddess. According to the legend, Chang’e accidentally took an immortality pill and flew to the moon, where she became a goddess and has lived there ever since. Another legend tells the story of a great archer named Hou Yi, who shot down nine out of ten suns that were scorching the earth, thus saving mankind. The Mid-Autumn Festival is believed to be a time when the moon is at its closest and brightest, symbolizing reunion and celebration.

Mooncakes are an essential part of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. These traditional pastries are offered to friends and family, as well as used as gifts. The round shape of the mooncake symbolizes completeness and reunion, while the sweet filling represents the sweetness of life and the harvest season. Mooncakes come in various flavors and styles, with some regions having their own unique variations, but the most traditional filling is lotus seed paste with a salted egg yolk center, representing the moon.

While the traditional activities and legends are still an important part of the festival, modern celebrations have also evolved to include contemporary elements. Today, cities and towns across East and Southeast Asia organize large-scale lantern displays, cultural performances, and mooncake-making competitions. The festival is also a time for businesses to promote special sales and for people to exchange mooncakes as gifts. The Mid-Autumn Festival continues to be a beloved holiday, bringing people together and preserving cultural heritage.