中秋节

           It will be 中秋节（zhōng qiū jié， Mid-autumn Festival）this Sunday, October 3rd! Happy 8-days holidays if you are lucky in China. Maybe it's too late to make your traveling plan, but it will never be too late to learn something. Why shouldn't we learn some words about this one of the biggest festival in Asia?


        
1. What's the meaning of the 中秋节zhōng qiū jié, and why do Chinese call it 八月十五（bā yuè shí wǔ， August 15）？
  

       
Chinese own calendar 农历（nóng lì）divides a year into 4 seasons, they are:

春 chūn spring

夏 xià summer

秋 qiū autumn
冬 dōng winter；
 
       Each season equally has 3 month they are called：
孟 mèng first month

仲 zhòng 2nd in seniority

季 jì 3rd month in the season.

 

        
So the first month in spring is called 一月yī yuè or 孟春mèng chūn, the second month of autumn is 八月 bā yuè or 仲秋 zhòng qiū, and people like to call it “中秋 zhōng qiū”. 



        
Since Chinese New Year is always in late January or early February, "the mid of the second month in autumn" , 八月十五 bā yuè shí wǔ, is usually in late September or early October.
 

        
2. Why this day is the big day?
 

        
Ancient farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the brightest mid-autumn harvest full moon.
         That's why this day is also called 'family reunion day', and people are going home no matter where they are to have dinner with the family.




         
3. Do you do anything special on this day?



       Although people have different activities on this day in terms of location, two things are
MUST DO:
a. Enjoy the beautiful of the full moon赏月 shǎng yuè and,
b. eating mooncake 吃月饼   chī yuè bǐng.

 

       
Because it's the time of harvest, people eat their tastiest food on this day. Shanghai, for example, people usually cook:
鸭子 yā zi (duck)

芋艿 yù nǎi (taro)

毛豆 máo dòu (green soybean)

and the most famous 大闸蟹 dài zhá xiè (Shanghai hairy crab) .

Click
to see the picture: