The Most Romantic Moon Of The Year
Have you heard about Mid-Autumn Festival? For a quarter of mankind, this is one of the highlights of the year!
Known under different names in Asia, this harvest festival has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years. The day is sacred all over China and many parts of East Asia, when it is believed that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time.
The festival officially begins on 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, which in 2020 falls on Thursday, October 1.
During the festival, one tradition is for families to have a big reunion dinner. Families will gather outdoors, on roof tops, in courtyards, parks or public spaces. There, they will admire the bright, full moon and enjoy mooncakes for dessert.
Of course, there are many legends and stories, and they are told throughout the night. One of most popular and romantic legends is that of Chang’ E.
There are several competing versions, and one of them goes like this:
The beautiful Chang’ E was married to an expert archer, Hou-Yi. One day, instead of one sunrise, there were ten! With ten suns in the sky every day, it didn’t take long for disaster to come upon the people. The earth was blazing! The crops were dying! The people were suffering! But Hou-Yi found a solution. With his bow and arrows, he was able shoot down nine suns, leaving just one standing in the sky. And so, he became a hero. And as a reward for having saved the Earth, he was given the elixir of immortality.
But since immortals cannot live upon the Earth and Hou-Yi didn’t want to leave his wife, he declined to take the elixir of immortality. He knew very well that others would want to get it, so he gave it to his wife Chang’ E, to hide and safeguard. But then, in an emergency, and to prevent the elixir from falling into the hands of her husband’s enemy, Chang’ E took the elixir.
And when she swallowed the elixir of immortality, she lost her place on Earth. So she floated off towards the moon, where she would spend eternity. And ever since then, on this day every year, a lonely Hou-Yi sets a table full of delectable foods. And he spends the night under the bright, full moon, longing for the chance to see his lost wife appear on the moon’s surface.
And therefore, Mid-Autumn Festival has come to symbolize romance, reunion, and a time to reminisce about lost loved ones.
At Catch, we strongly encourage the participation in all beautiful ancient festivals. What could be more romantic?
You could set out some delicious foods, and when night falls, invite your significant other or a date for an outdoor picnic. Then, look up to the sky and enjoy the full experience of this tradition.
You could even put your kitchen skills to test and make your own mooncakes – a quintessential item for this festival. By the way, they are excellent with green tea!
How about taking a narrated tour of the Moon and its features? This 4K high resolution video combines footage from several NASA missions. Amazing to watch on a big screen TV!
