Moon and Harvest Festival in China. Mid-Autumn Festival: who you can meet on the moon and why you should eat mooncakes

Moon Festival is a traditional holiday in China. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month according to the lunar calendar. This day is considered mid-autumn, so it was called “Zhongqiu” - “mid-autumn” in Chinese. On this day the moon is especially bright and round. The whole family gathers under its light in the evening and admires the moon. And those who are in a foreign land also look at the moon and remember their homeland and loved ones. The Chinese believe that the Moon symbolizes the unification of the entire family. Therefore, the Moon Festival was also called the Union Festival.

Before the Zhou Dynasty, on Zhongqiu holidays, the Chinese made sacrifices to the moon god. In their homes, people had a table for sacrifice. Mooncakes, watermelon, apples, Chinese dates, plums, grapes and other dishes were usually placed on it. Mooncakes and watermelon were considered the main sacrificial treats. In addition, the watermelon had to be cut so as to resemble the shape of a lotus flower. Then they placed an icon of the moon god and lit red candles. After this, all family members bowed in order to the moon god, and the hostess cut mooncakes.

They say that according to legend, in ancient times, in the state of Qi, there lived an ugly girl, Wu Yan. As a child, Wu Yan often worshiped the moon god reverently. When she became an adult, Wu Yan stood out for her abilities and high morals and was chosen to join the palace. But she was not the emperor's favorite. On the Zhongqiu festival, Wu Yan admired the moon and met the emperor. At that moment, Wu Yan looked very beautiful under the moonlight. The emperor was attracted by her beauty. Chan E - the goddess lives on the moon according to Chinese legend, she stands out for her beauty. Therefore, girls worship the moon god to become more beautiful.

In the Tang Dynasty, the ritual of admiring the moon during the Zhongqiu festival was widespread. And in the Northern Song Dynasty, on the night of the holiday, the entire population of Jing Shi - both old and young, both poor and rich, were in clothes, burned incense, bowed to the moon god and prayed asking for his protection. During the Southern Song Dynasty, people gave each other mooncakes, which symbolize the bonding of the entire family. In some places they still played with the grass dragon and built a pagoda. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, traditional rituals of the Zhuoqiu holiday became widespread.

Nowadays, these rituals are no longer as widespread as they used to be. But the customs of arranging evening festive dinners and admiring the moon are preserved. On the night of the fifteenth day of the eighth month according to the lunar calendar, in the evening of the moon, people enjoy wine, remember relatives who live far away and try to get together with the whole family.

The rituals of the Zhongqiu holiday are rich and varied. All of them reflect the Chinese people's ardent love for life and hopes for a wonderful future. -o-

The competition is for those who are interested in China, its culture, traditions and language. Watching the videos will introduce you to the legend of the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the traditions of its celebration.

The duration of the competition is 1 hour. .

All competitions and olympiads are free.

Preparing for the competition!

Mid-Autumn Festival in China

It falls on the 15th day of the 8th month. In 2017 it is celebrated on October 4th. It is an ancient Chinese holiday, has its own legend of origin and celebration traditions.

Cards

1) 中秋节 - Mid-Autumn Festival

2) 后羿 - Hou Yi, shooter, hero of Chinese myths

3) 嫦娥 - Chang'e, beauty, heroine of Chinese myths

4) 月饼 - mooncake, lit. "moon cake"

5) 吃月饼 - eat mooncakes

6) 月亮 - moonlight, moonlight

7) 看月亮 - admire the light of the moon

8) 全家一起 - with the whole family

9) 太阳 - sun, sunlight

10) 月饼甜 - sweet mooncakes

11) 月饼香 - fragrant mooncakes

Tips for preparing for the competition

1. Watch a cartoon about the Mid-Autumn Festival without Russian translation. Try to understand what it says.

2. Then watch the same cartoon with a translation into Russian so that you remember the legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival better.

3. To get a better acquaintance with the traditions of celebrating this day in China, watch a short report from one of the Russian news channels.

4. According to Chinese beliefs, the moon (beauty Chang E) symbolizes the female part of the population, and the sun (shooter Hou Yi) is a symbol of the male part of the population. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Chinese sing many songs with their children. Listen to two of them, try to understand their meaning with the help of cards and previous videos.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

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Participants who scored 91% points or more, become winners and receive 1st degree diploma.

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Organizing Committee of the competition

Institute of Foreign Languages ​​of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Volgograd State Social and Pedagogical University"

Leontovich Olga Arkadyevna

Head of the Department of Intercultural Communication and Translation, Doctor of Philosophy Sc., professor, Volgograd

Simonenko Natalya Yurievna

Associate Professor, Department of Intercultural Communication and Translation, Institute of Foreign Languages, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "VGSPU", Ph.D. n, Volgograd

Merezhko Ekaterina Alekseevna

postgraduate student of the Department of Modern European Languages ​​of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after. A. I. Herzen, participant of international projects AIESEC 2010-2014, St. Petersburg

Shoikhet Galina Yanovna

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On the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Lunar calendar, China celebrates Autumn Full Moon Festival - Zhongqiujie , which approximately corresponds to the second half of September.

It is believed that on this day the lunar disk is “the brightest and roundest of the year.” Zhongqiujie (Mid-Autumn Festival) is also called the Harvest Festival, since it coincides with the end of harvesting work. This holiday is also called the Moon Goddess Festival.

This day is an official holiday in China. In 2011, the holiday fell on September 12, and in 2012, the Mid-Autumn celebration will fall on September 30.

Ritual tradition idle ika — lighting incense to Chang’e, the mythical inhabitant of the moon.

The image of "fullness" appears in several senses: it is the time of completion of the harvest; the moon is a symbol of the feminine principle, etc. its fullness is also a symbol of fertility. (According to Chinese tradition, Chang'e's companion on the moon is a rabbit, which poundes the potion of immortality in a mortar, sitting under a cinnamon tree, as well as a three-legged toad - a symbol of the feminine).

Holiday legend

In ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky. Due to a terrible drought, all crops died out, the life of the people became unbearable. In those days there lived a hero named Yi, he had incredible strength. And he climbed to the top of Mount Kunlun, pulled the bowstring, fired arrows at the nine suns, and they fell. He ordered the remaining sun to rise and fall in time. Shooter I, whose heroic deed brought great happiness to people, earned the respect and love of the people. Many admirers of Yi became his disciples, one of them was a man named Pengmeng. Yi had a beautiful wife named Chang'e. One day Yi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit his friend there. On the way, he met the heavenly ruler Sivanma. She gave And the elixir of immortality and said that by drinking the elixir, And could immediately ascend to heaven and find eternal life. But Yi did not want to leave his beloved Chang’e, so he gave the elixir of immortality to his wife for safekeeping. Pengmeng accidentally saw Chang'e hiding the elixir of immortality in a jewelry box. One day, when Yi was not at home, Pengmeng came to Chang'e. Threatening with a sword, he began to demand the elixir of immortality from Chang'e. Chang'e understood that she was not Pengmeng's rival. Therefore, she had no choice but to swallow the elixir of immortality herself. Miracles began to happen here. Chang'e took off from the ground, flew through the window and rushed to the moon. Panman ran away with nothing. Shooter And was killed grief when he learned about what happened. Peering into the night sky, And calling the name of his beloved. Suddenly he noticed with surprise that that night the moon was especially clear and bright, and a shadow similar to Chang’e flashed across it. And with all his might he rushed after the Moon, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not overtake the Moon. And every day I missed my wife. He ordered a table for an incense burner to be installed in the garden where Chang’e loved to walk, and his wife’s favorite sweets and fruits to be placed on it as a sacrifice. Having learned that Chang'e had gone to the Moon and gained immortality, people, one after another, began to install incense burners under the Moon and ask Chang'e to send them happiness and prosperity. Since then, the custom of worshiping the Moon on Mid-Autumn Day has spread among the people.

Story holiday

dates back to ancient rituals of sacrifice: in the spring, the rulers of the Celestial Empire worshiped the spirit of the Sun, and in the fall they made sacrifices to the Moon. Subsequently, the nobility and intelligentsia, imitating the princes, also began to admire the round and clear moon on Mid-Autumn Day, organize sacrifices and treat this day as a holiday. Zhongqiujie has become one of the main Chinese holidays. In terms of its significance, this holiday is second only to the Chinese New Year, marking the middle of the annual cycle in the minds of the peoples of East Asia.

On Mid-Autumn Festival the most main event in China –this is admiring the moon, visiting relatives and eating food.

On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, relatives and friends gather in the open air, admire the full moon, set tables with all kinds of dishes, have carefree conversations, enjoy the beauty of the moonlit night, and remember those who are far from their loved ones and relatives. Yuebin gingerbread, watermelons, apples, plums, grapes and other seasonal fruits are displayed on a special table. Moreover, watermelons are cut in the shape of a lotus. Gingerbread is shared among everyone, and they also treat each other to pamela (in the southern regions), followed by games with the round skin of this fruit.

Other traditions

China is a vast country with a large population. Different regions of China maintain different customs associated with the Zhongqiujie Festival.

In Pucheng County Fujian Province On Mid-Autumn Festival, women cross the Nanpu Bridge to live long lives. In Jianning County, lamps are hung up on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival to address the Moon God.

In Chaoshan area Guangdong Province There is a custom of sacrifice to the moon. On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, under the moon, women set out tables with candles and incense, fruits and gingerbread in the courtyard or on the balconies.

In Wuxi County, Jiangsu Province On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people burn "Dousiang" incense. The incense pot is lined with silk on which pictures of the moon are painted. There are other decorations for incense pots.

A Shanghai residents On the Mid-Autumn Festival they drink wine with the taste of fragrant osmanthus.

In Ji'an County, Jiangxi Province At the end of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a pot of straw is burned in every village. After the pot has turned red, vinegar is poured into it, and a pleasant aroma spreads throughout the village.

In Anhui Province children weave braids from straw, and adults dance with a dragon made from straw.

In some places, tangerine lamps are also hung above the gates to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In some counties of Shandong Province, In addition to making sacrifices to the moon, people also make sacrifices to their ancestors.

In Luan County, Shanxi Province On Mid-Autumn Festival, in-laws are invited to banquets.

Residents Hejian County, Hebei Province Rain on the Mid-Autumn Festival is considered “bitter.” If it rains on this day, local residents believe that this year’s vegetables will definitely be tasteless.

Men Xixiang County, Shaanxi Province in the evening on this day they go boating and climb the mountains, women hold banquets. Both rich and poor people always eat watermelons.

In Luochuan County, Shaanxi Province Parents of schoolchildren visit teachers with gifts, congratulating them on the holiday. They usually have lunch at schools.

In the city of Benxi, Liaoning Province, there is another tradition to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival: going to the mountains to admire the autumn foliage.

Materials from the sites “Wikipedia” and “Chinese Internet Information Center” were used.

Wonderful Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 (Zhōngqiū jié, in Russian transcription according to the Palladian system, the holiday is usually called Zhongqiu), which is also called the Moon and Harvest Festival, is traditionally celebrated in China on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. In 2012 中秋节 falls on September 30th. Formerly a traditional Chinese folk festival, Zhongqiu is now an official public holiday.

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节, or Moon Day, is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the 8th month.

In this article I would like to talk about the legend of the origin of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and the traditions of its celebration.

The Legend of the Origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival - Zhongqiu

In ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky. A terrible drought began, the crops perished, the land dried up. However, there lived on earth a hero named Howe(后羿, Hòu yì), who possessed incredible strength. He climbed to the top of Mount Kunlun, pulled the string of his bow and fired arrows at nine suns at once, hitting them with one shot.

The Chinese hero Hou is famous for killing 9 suns with one arrow.

Then, he ordered the remaining, tenth, sun to rise and fall on time. Hero Hou, whose heroic deed brought happiness to the people of the whole Earth and saved lives, earned the respect and love of the people. Many admirers of Howe asked him to become his students.

Soon, he married a beautiful girl named Chang'e(嫦娥, Cháng’é), whom he loved very much. One day, the hero Hou went to Mount Kunlun to visit his friend. On the way, he met the heavenly sorceress ruler. She gave Hou the elixir of immortality and promised that by drinking the elixir, Hou could immediately ascend to heaven and gain eternal life. But Hou did not want to leave his beloved Chang'e alone, so he gave the elixir of immortality to his wife for safekeeping, who hid it in a jewelry box.

The wife of the hero Hou is the beautiful Chang'e

One day, when the hero Hou was not at home, one of his students came to his house with the intention of taking possession of the elixir of immortality. Threatening with a sword, he began to demand that Chang'e give up the wonderful potion. The girl understood that she was not a rival to the armed forces. However, seeing the evil in his heart, she immediately realized that the warrior could not be allowed to gain such power. Therefore, she had no choice but to drink the elixir of immortality herself. At the same moment, when the last drop was drunk, Chang'e took off from the ground, flew out through the window and flew to the moon.

Returning home, Hero Howe learned about what had happened. He fell to his knees, peering into the night sky in despair, calling his beloved by name. Suddenly he noticed that on the moon, which was surprisingly bright and light that night, a shadow similar to Chang’e flashed. Hero Hou rushed after the Moon with all his might, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not overtake her.

Silhouette of a Chinese Chang'e girl on the moon and a moon hare. According to legend, the moon hare is a girl’s devoted friend

Every day, Hou yearned for his wife and ordered a table for a ritual incense burner to be installed in the garden where his beloved Chang’e loved to walk, and his wife’s favorite sweets and fruits to be placed on it as a sacrifice. Having learned that Chang'e had gone to the Moon and gained immortality, people, one after another, began to light incense in the evening hours under the Moon and ask Chang'e to send them happiness and prosperity. Since then, the custom of worshiping the Moon on Mid-Autumn Day has spread among the people.

Of course, there are a huge number of versions and retellings of this legend. According to some of them, the hero Hou inherited the magic elixir from his mother, according to others, Hou’s wife Chang’e drank the elixir herself, seduced by eternal immortality, etc. Here, as in any folklore, it is difficult to single out one of the many legends, however, the general meaning remains the same - the lovers were separated, the husband remained on Earth, and his wife still lives on the distant cold Moon.

Celebration traditions 中秋节

Since this day is a public holiday in China, the celebration usually lasts from one to three days. These days it is customary for the whole family to gather (the Moon also symbolizes a circle - a sign of unification). Noisy feasts are not complete without (月饼, Yuè bǐng). On this day, it is believed that the moon in the sky is the fullest and roundest of the entire year, so the Yuebing mooncake is shaped like the moon. Mooncake symbolizes all the wonderful desires of people, as well as love and loyalty. Therefore, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is customary to give Yuebin gift packages to relatives and friends as a symbol of their love and friendship.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Day, in China it is customary to eat Yuebin - moon cakes.