Mid-AutumnFestival-中秋节

　　ThejoyousMid-AutumnFestival,thethirdandlastfestivalfortheliving,wascelebratedonthefifteenthdayoftheeighthmoon,aroundthetimeoftheautumnequinox.Manyreferredtoitsimplyasthe"FifteenthoftheEighthMoon".IntheWesterncalendar,thedayofthefestivalusuallyoccurredsometimebetweenthesecondweekofSeptemberandthesecondweekofOctober.

　　Thisdaywasalsoconsideredaharvestfestivalsincefruits,vegetablesandgrainhadbeenharvestedbythistimeandfoodwasabundant.Withdelinquentaccountssettledpriortothefestival,itwasatimeforrelaxationandcelebration.Foodofferingswereplacedonanaltarsetupinthecourtyard.Apples,pears,peaches,grapes,pomegranates,melons,orangesandpomelosmightbeseen.Specialfoodsforthefestivalincludedmooncakes,cookedtaro,ediblesnailsfromthetaropatchesorricepaddiescookedwithsweetbasil,andwatercaltrope,atypeofwaterchestnutresemblingblackbuffalohorns.Somepeopleinsistedthatcookedtarobeincludedbecauseatthetimeofcreation,tarowasthefirstfooddiscoveredatnightinthemoonlight.Ofallthesefoods,itcouldnotbeomittedfromtheMid-AutumnFestival.

　　Theroundmooncakes,measuringaboutthreeinchesindiameterandoneandahalfinchesinthickness,resembledWesternfruitcakesintasteandconsistency.Thesecakesweremadewithmelonseeds,lotusseeds,almonds,mincedmeats,beanpaste,orangepeelsandlard.Agoldenyolkfromasaltedduckeggwasplacedatthecenterofeachcake,andthegoldenbrowncrustwasdecoratedwithsymbolsofthefestival.Traditionally,thirteenmooncakeswerepiledinapyramidtosymbolizethethirteenmoonsofa"completeyear,"thatis,twelvemoonsplusoneintercalarymoon.

　　Origin

　　TheMid-AutumnFestivalisatraditionalfestivityforboththeHanandminoritynationalities.Thecustomofworshippingthemoon(calledxiyueinChinese)canbetracedbackasfarastheancientXiaandShangDynasties(2000B.C.-1066B.C.).IntheZhouDynasty(1066B.C.-221B.C.),peopleholdceremoniestogreetwinterandworshipthemoonwhenevertheMid-AutumnFestivalsetsin.ItbecomesveryprevalentintheTangDynasty(618-907A.D.)thatpeopleenjoyandworshipthefullmoon.IntheSouthernSongDynasty(1127-1279A.D.),however,peoplesendroundmooncakestotheirrelativesasgiftsinexpressionoftheirbestwishesoffamilyreunion.Whenitbecomesdark,theylookupatthefullsilvermoonorgosightseeingonlakestocelebratethefestival.SincetheMing(1368-1644A.D.)andQingDynasties(1644-1911A.D.),thecustomofMid-AutumnFestivalcelebrationbecomesunprecedentedpopular.Togetherwiththecelebrationthereappearsomespecialcustomsindifferentpartsofthecountry,suchasburningincense,plantingMid-Autumntrees,lightinglanternsontowersandfiredragondances.However,thecustomofplay