ORIGIN AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

ORIGIN AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

According to the lunar calendar, August 15 is mid-autumn, which is considered the right date to sacrifice to the genie of the moon for the elders to predict the harvest and it is also the feast day for children.

The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival

According to legend, the Mid-Autumn Festival began during the Duong Dynasty. At this time, on the full moon day of August, while walking outside the rampart, the king encountered a fairy in the form of an old man. This magical fairy created a rainbow, one end bordering the moon, the other touching the earth and on which the king rode to go and walk on the moon. After returning home, the poetic nostalgic king of the moon, he created the Mid-Autumn Festival

This holiday was then introduced in Vietnam. We put on mooncakes, hang lights and flowers, sing and dance the dragon during the party. In many places there are cooking and cake competitions for women and girls, lantern competitions for children. On the occasion of the holiday, shopping centers and neighborhoods organize decorations and activities for children

According to the archaeologists, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam existed for a very long time, which printed on the bronze drum Ngoc Lu. -Autumn was officially held at Thang Long Citadel with boat races, water puppet shows, lantern procession. In the Le-Trinh Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival is lavishly organized at the Royal Palace

The scholar P.Giran (Magiet Religion, Paris, 1912) when researching the origin of Mid-Autumn, pointed out that since ancient times people in Southeast Asia value the Moon and Sun very much like a couple. According to their design, the Moon only meets the Sun once a month and after that, it is satisfied to leave and it has received sunlight to become a new moon, a full moon and then go through a new cycle. So, the moon is feminine – the woman in the family. And on the full moon day of August, the moon is the most beautiful, most splendid, so people celebrate beautiful moon

The meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival

After thousands of years, it is believed that there is still a connection between life and the moon. Full moon and waning moon, joy and chargin, reunion or parting. Since then, the full moon represents reunion and that is why the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the reunion festival.

According to Vietnamese tradition, during the feast, all members of the family gather to prepare the meal together. The neighbors meet to drink tea, taste cakes, fruit while looking at the moon. Children having fun and lion dancing

In addition to the fun meaning for children and adults. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also an opportunity to look at the moon and predict the harvests and the national destiny. If the moon is yellow, the silkworm season will hit, if the moon is green or blue, there will be natural disasters, and if the moon is bright orange, the country will prosper.