Tsukimi ( 月見) or Otsukimi ( お月見), meaning, ' moon-viewing', are Japanese festivals honoring the autumn moon, a variant of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Uposatha of Ashvini/ Krittika (similar festivals that generally occur on the same day in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand ) Research Shows Muslims in Malaysia & Indonesia Are Remarkably Alike in Religious Viewsĥ-Million-Year-Old Limestone Hill Might Be Destroyed By This Malaysian Cement Factoryīest Bread In The World Is Malaysia's Humble Roti Canai, TasteAtlas Ranks Follow Mashable SEA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.Ĭover image sourced from ChinaFetching.Offerings for the September 13 Moon: Tsukimi dango (left), susuki grass (middle) and chestnuts (right)īurn incense at temples and consume dango Hey there! Here's what others are currently reading: As they sit down and enjoy sweet delicacies with tea and take part in 'moon-watching', all they seek is longevity, happiness, and peace for their families. Some old folks say that this festival is the perfect reunion time for daughters who are married. In gratitude, Buddha resurrected the rabbit and sent it to the moon to be venerated.įor many families, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the time for reunions that are not too rowdy or busy. The rabbit threw itself into the fire, offering itself as meat. The fox caught a fish for him and the monkey brought some fruits. IMAGE: Irene Yoga FlowĪs for the Jade rabbit, it was said that Buddha had disguised himself as a hungry old man and approached three animals – a fox, a monkey, and a rabbit for help. When Hou Yi noticed something was wrong, he rushed out to look for his wife only to find her drifting up to the moon. He hid the bottle away and chose to remain as a mortal.Ĭhang'e found out about the elixer and drank everything in the bottle. However, the elixer was only enough for one person and Hou Yi refused to separate from his wife. He was awarded the Elixer of Immortality, something that was typically reserved for immortals who had achieved enlightenment. In art, Chang’e is consistently depicted as a graceful young lady, sometimes shown holding an elegant white rabbit.Ĭhang’e was married to the legendary archer hero, Hou Yi who shot down nine of the ten suns in the sky. Prior to becoming the spirit of the moon, Chang’e was a woman renowned throughout China for her beauty. In ancient Chinese, Gods and deities were major sources of belief, whether it was for the imperial family, aristocrats, or even normal civilians. Goddess Chang'e (嫦娥) is the Moon Goddess. IMAGE: Irene Yoga Flow The Significance of the Goddess Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit Since then, the round cakes were named mooncakes and have become seasonal delicacies that everyone can enjoy. In the end, the Yuan dynasty was defeated and Zhu Yuanzhang passed down an oral decree to let all the soldiers and the people have fun during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. He sent people to distribute it to allied armies in various places, informing them to respond to the uprising on the night of August 15th. Military strategist Liu Bowen came up with a plan and ordered his subordinates to hide a note that read 'uprising on August 15th' in the round cakes. However, the court had orders to conduct uptight searches and this made efforts to convey messages very difficult. Zhu Yuanzhang united various resistance forces to prepare for the uprising. Due to the brutality and cruelty of the throne, the Central Plains wanted to revolt.

It was later distributed among the ministers to enjoy.Īnother one of the mooncakes' 'heroic' tales was during the Yuan dynasty. The cakes were round and stored in delicate boxes. During the reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, General Li Jing conquered the Huns (nomadic warriors) and returned in triumph on August 15.Īt that time, merchants from Turpan who were doing business in the Central Plains presented cakes to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty to celebrate his victory. The earliest trace of mooncakes dated back to the Tang dynasty.

But did you know that mooncakes (月饼, yue bing) were once key components in wars? When people hear the name 'Mid-Autumn Festival' or 'Mooncake Festival', the first thing that comes to mind is, of course, mooncakes. The 15th day is the middle of the month, and the eighth lunar month is in the middle of autumn. It is called the Mid-Autumn Festival because this festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, is the third out of the four traditional festivals in the Lunar calendar. That date is the Mid-Autumn Festival or, as the Chinese call it 中秋节 (Zong Qiu Jie). September is here and as people check off each festival that's passed, there will be one upcoming date that yet again symbolizes reunion for the Chinese community.

Mooncake festival