文化资源丨中秋：海上生明月，天涯共此时

The Mid-autumnFestival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. On this day, Chineseall over the world would get homesick. According to the Chinese ancientcalendar, the seventh, the eighth and ninth month constitute the autumn season.The 15th day of the eighth month is just in the midst of the season, and thereforecalled the Mid-autumn Festival.

On the day of thefestival, family members will sit around a table to enjoy an important reuniondinner. In some areas, when the dinner is over, the ceremony ofmoon-worshipping begins. Offerings of fruit and cakes will be put on the altarand candles lit. For sacrificial rites, moon cakes, a very unique pastry of thefestival, are indispensible. The moon cakes are said to have a history of overa thousand years. At first they served only as offerings to the Moon Goddess.Because the original cakes were shaped like the full moon, so they were called mooncakes. Later on, eating moon cakes and appreciating the beauty of the moon havebecome the customs of the festival with moon cakes as the symbol of unity andfelicity.

An importantactivity of sacrificial rites is to compose poems under the moon. AncientChinese poets wrote a great many poems about the moon. For example, a poem by aTang poet Zhang Jiuling: “Over the sea the moon shines bright; we gaze at itfar, far apart.” and another poem by a Song writer Su Shi: “My one wish foryou, then, is long life and a share in this loveliness far, far away.”

If the SpringFestival gives rise to people’s expectation of future happiness, the Mid-autumnFestival then revokes their warm desire for harmonious family life.