Other countries that celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival However, if you wish to try something unconventional, go for the ones prepared with fillings of spicy beef, leek and fermented bean curd.īesides mooncakes, other delicacies include Osmanthus wine, river snails, pumpkins, deep-fried lotus root sandwiches and taro (sweet potato). The full moon-shaped delicacy come with traditional fillings, which include lotus seeds and roots, melon seeds, fruits and chocolates. When the Han Chinese revolted against the Mongols during the Yuan dynasty period (1279-1368 CE), it is believed that some revolutionaries exchanged secret messages through mooncakes. And, it has an interesting anecdote as it holds much importance in Chinese history. One of the best things to look forward to during the festival is mooncakes. Scrumptious mooncakes and other delicacies Don’t forget to catch the lion dances live. If you are planning to visit the country during this bright festival, Hanoi, Hội An and Ho Chi Minh City are the best ones to be in. Much to the awe of children, the dancers move closer to them to entertain and make them laugh. This act is carried out by professional acrobatic dancers who comprise the lion’s body. Múa lân or lion dance is one of the major attractions of this festival. He tells the lion dancers to perform for the crowd who cheer onlookers with their comical moves. He represents the Earth God, Ông Địa, known for abundance and his mask symbolises the moon. On the full moon night, a vibrantly dressed male dancer can be seen amid the festivities. Add to it stalls with gorgeous lanterns, toys, masks and aromatic mooncakes. The Vietnamese believe that a man’s shadow can be seen if one looks closely at the moon, and the children light lanterns to help him find his way back to the earth.Īs the city preps for the sparkling festival, one can easily witness lion dance by performers rehearsing on the streets. He was said to have hung from a magical banyan tree that led to the moon. The harvest festival has much folklore attached to it, but the one which is the most popular in Vietnam is about a man named Cuội. Also known as the ‘Children’s Festival’ in the country, every child looks forward to preparing their own lanterns and nibbling on the scrumptious mooncakes. The Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival is a favourite among kids. Diaochan’s beauty has been regarded as higher than Chang-e’s since then. Seeing her beauty, Chang-e, the goddess residing on the moon hid amid the clouds as she felt inferior. After knowing about the ongoing politics in the royal court where she lived, she prayed to the moon for peace at midnight. His love touched people across various Chinese communities and similar traditions related to the festival came into practice.Īnother tale narrates the story of a beautiful singer Diaochan, who lived during the Han dynasty (206-220 CE). Meanwhile, Hou Yi started burning incense and offering food to the moon after losing his wife. It was believed that she would return to her husband on Mid-Autumn day. She then floated to the moon and stayed there as a deity. However, he gave the elixir to his wife Chang-e who once drank it to save it from being stolen by his followers. For this, he was awarded the immortality elixir for his bravery. The emperor hired the famous archer Hou Yi, who brought nine of them down. One of the popular ones is about the Jade Emperor whose ten sons altered themselves as ten suns and began disturbing life on earth with their scorching heat. Mid-Autumn Festival folkloreīased on various beliefs, Asian parents tell different stories revolving around the festival to their children. Meanwhile, those with Chinese heritage in Indonesia celebrate another variation of the festival called the Lantern Festival (which is different from the one celebrated in China). Additionally, it is known as the Mooncake Festival, too, going by the festival-specific dessert. Known as Zhōngqiū Jié in Mandarin in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, it is called Tết Trung Thu in Vietnam and Chuseok in Korea. In 2008, it was declared a public holiday by China. Image Courtesy: Marie Martin/Pexels The history of the Chinese festival and its different namesĪlthough the Chinese festival finds its roots in the Tang (618-907 CE) and Song (960-1279 CE) dynasties, it became popular during the Ming (1368-1644 CE) and Qing (1644-1912 CE) dynasties and came to be known as the Spring Festival thereafter. By Eesha Kulkarni, Aug 18 All about Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes, and its significance
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