Mid-autumn festival is one of the very famous Chinese festival. It is also known as mooncake festival because it is a custom to eat mooncake during the festival. The festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar.
Background
The festival
has a long history. It has been fixed since around year 618 - 907. In ancient China, emperors followed the rite of
offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn.
Later the ceremony had expanded to
common people. They then also celebrated with specific traditions and enjoyed the full, bright moon on that day.
Traditions
There are numerous customs for celebration, such as:
-Eating mooncakes
- Carrying , lighting lanterns and floating sky lanterns
- Fire Dragon Dances
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival
http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/Festivals/78311.htm
http://marshmallow92.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/traditional-chinese-moon-cake.jpg
http://www.yorkshirefireworks.co.uk/user/Lanterns3.jpg
http://www.newsgd.com/news/picstories/200409280057_21150.jpg