Although it doesn't have the catchiest English name around, 中秋节 (Zhōngqiū Jié) is one of the most important holidays on the Chinese calendar. Usually called "Mid-Autumn Festival" in English, 中秋节 falls on the 15th day of the Chinese calendar's eighth month (八月 - bāyuè), which tends to be in mid to late-September, occasionally extending into October. 中秋节 celebrates the end of the Autumn harvest season and the point when the moon is at its brightest, and it's happening this coming Monday, September 12th. So get your mooncakes (月饼 - yuèbĭng) ready, because in this week's ChinesePod Weekly, we're going to learn all about 中秋节!

The Never-Ending Story

The story behind 中秋节 is a really interesting one that holds a special place in Chinese culture and history - it begins with the deity 嫦娥 (Cháng'é), the Chinese goddess of the moon, and her husband 后羿 (Hòuyì). There are many, many versions of the story (as one would expect given China's size and diverse cultures), but most involve 后羿 and 嫦娥 being expelled from heaven and forced to live on Earth, where 后羿, who was an archer, had to hunt for his own food and otherwise do the things that we lowly mortals do. Now, around this same time, 羲和 (Xīhé) who was the goddess of the sun (also frequently referred to in English as "the mother of the suns"), was in charge of guiding the ten suns (in the guise of three-legged birds) around the Earth, one at a time. One day, though, all ten of the suns were out in full force, and so the Earth began to burn up. 后羿 was tasked with using his archery skills to eliminate all but one of the suns, and when he was successful, the Emperor granted 后羿 a pill that could give him eternal life and other powers - with the stipulation that he fast for an entire year before taking it (a most unenviable task).

Still considering the idea, Hòuyì hid the pill in his home and went off to do the sort of extremely awesome business that archers in ancient China inevitably had to do. 嫦娥 noticed the pill in their home and, in a serious Eve moment, swallowed it. Needless to say, 后羿 wasn't happy. He began excoriating Cháng'é, but she used her newfound powers to fly out the window and eventually settled on the moon, which is when the 中秋节 part starts to come into play. 嫦娥 encountered 玉兔 (Yùtù), the "Jade Hare" that lives on the moon. Cháng'é demanded he make another pill for her, and legend has it that he's still trying today. Meanwhile, 后羿 built a palace on the sun, which is where the concept of 阴阳 (yīnyáng) comes from: 后羿 lived on the sun and represents the male side (阳) and 嫦娥 the female (阴). He comes to visit her once a year, the legend goes, and that's why the moon is so bright and full, and why it's the day 中秋节 is observed.

Layer Cake

There are a number of dances that mark the 中秋节 celebration, but by far the most well-known Mid-Autumn Festival tradition is the 月饼 (yuèbĭng) or mooncake. While not everyone is a huge fan, 月饼 is as integral a part of 中秋节 as turkey at American Thanksgiving. These usually-round pastries, which are literally everywhere in China and overseas Chinese communities this time of year, are made from lotus seed, red bean, or black bean paste and egg yolks. The egg yolks tend to be from salted duck eggs, however, and can be a bit...unusual-tasting, especially for Westerners. While basic mooncakes are available, these days hugely elaborate ones are often given as gifts to family members or business clients; in this way 月饼 are quite similar to the oft-mocked fruitcakes frequently given as gifts around Christmastime in the West. Fancy mooncakes may include four egg yolks, to symbolize the four phases of the moon, and lately even ice cream 月饼, made by Haagen-Dazs, have become available in some areas. It seems like whatever your preferred flavor, there is a mooncake to satisfy it.

South of the Border

中秋节 isn't specific to the Sinosphere, however; the Vietnamese have a similar but interestingly different legend for the holiday they call "Tết Trung Thu". The story centers around the dragon Cá hóa Rông, who was once a carp but worked so hard he eventually became a dragon (precisely how this is possible is anyone's guess). The moral is that children should work hard if they want to achieve their dreams, which is certainly a valuable message! More in line with the Chinese tradition, there's also a tale of the woman Chi Hang, who, much like 嫦娥, became stranded on the moon.

2001: A Space Legacy

As the goddess of the moon, 嫦娥 is often mentioned in modern times in reference to lunar exploration. Apollo 11 astronauts, in fact, were informed of her legend during their journey to the moon:

Mission Control: "Among the large headlines concerning Apollo this morning there's one asking that you watch for a lovely girl with a big rabbit. An ancient legend says a beautiful Chinese girl called Chang-o has been living there for 4000 years. It seems she was banished to the Moon because she stole the pill for immortality from her husband. You might also look for her companion, a large Chinese rabbit, who is easy to spot since he is only standing on his hind feet in the shade of a cinnamon tree. The name of the rabbit is not recorded."

Astronaut Michael Collins: "Okay, we'll keep a close eye for the bunny girl."

Similarly, when the Chinese National Space Administration launched its first lunar probe in 2007, it was appropriately named the 嫦娥一号 (Cháng'é yī hào), or "Chang'e 1", taking advantage of a unique nomenclature opportunity for a culture with ancient mythology to launch a device into space (looking at you, Greece and Italy!)

Now that you're properly armed with Mid-Autumn Festival knowledge, you can take part in the holiday knowing where it all came from. Enjoy the long weekend everyone!