To the Chinese, Mid-Autumn Festival means family reunion and peace. The festival is celebrated when the moon is believed to be the biggest and fullest. To the Chinese, a full moon is a symbol of prosperity, happiness, and family reunion.
Many traditional and meaningful celebrations are held in most households in China, and China's neighboring countries. The main traditions and celebrations include eating mooncakes, having dinner with family, gazing at and worshipping the moon, and lighting lanterns.
Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years, dating back to moon worship in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC). It’s such an important festival that many poems were written about it, stories and legends about the festival are widespread, and its origins have been guessed at and explained by generations of Chinese.
The term "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the book Rites of Zhou (周礼), written in the Warring States Period (475–221 BC). But the term only related to the time and season; the festival didn't exist at that point.
“中秋”一词最早出现在战国时期《周礼》一书中,但是该词只和时间和季节有关,当时还没有中秋节。
04、中秋节相关的英语词汇
五仁月饼:five-nuts mooncakes
流心奶黄月饼Lava Egg Custard Mooncake
莲蓉双黄月饼Mooncake with Double Yolks and Lotus Seed Paste
细沙月饼Red Bean Paste Mooncake
枣泥核桃月饼Date Paste and Walnut Mooncake
松仁黑麻月饼Mooncake with Black Sesame Paste and Pine Nuts