1.Mid-AutumnFestival(alsoknownastheMoonFestival),thethirdmajorfestivaloftheChinesecalendar,iscelebratedonthe15thdayofthe8thmonth,asthemoonissupposedtobeatitsmaximumbrightnessfortheentireyear.
2.Themoondefinitelyspinscountlesslegendsthroughouttheages.Ofcourse,themostfamouslegendistheonesurroundingthe"ladylivinginthemoon"thatdatesbacktoancienttimes,toadaywhentensunsappearedatonceinthesky.TheEmperororderedafamousarchertoshootdownthenineextrasuns.Oncethetaskwasaccomplished,GoddessofWesternHeavenrewardedthearcherwithapillthatwouldmakehimimmortal.However,hiswifefoundthepill,tookit,andwasbanishedtothemoonasaresult.Legendsaysthatherbeautyisgreatestonthedayofthefestival.
3.AnotherlegenddepictsapossiblerolethatthefestivalplayedinChinesehistory.OverrunbytheMongolsinthethirteenthcentury,theChinesethrewofftheiroppressorsin1368AD.Itissaidthatmooncakes-whichtheMongolsdidnoteat-weretheperfectvehicleforhidingandpassingalongplansfortherebellion.Familieswereinstructednottoeatthemooncakesuntilthedayofthefestival,whichiswhentherebelliontookplace.
4.ThemostlunaticmortalinChinesehistorycouldhavebeenthegreatpoetLiBai(701-762AD),whoonceinvitedthemoontohaveadrinkwithhimandhisshadowtoformabandofthree.Lifinallydrownedinalakeinanefforttocatchthemoonwhenhewasdrunkonenight.
5.Thefestivenightcanbeoneofthemostcharmingandpicturesquenightsandthefullmoonisanauspicioussymbolofabundance,harmonyandluck.Forthousandsofyears,theChinesepeoplehaverelatedthevicissitudesoflifetochangesofthemoonasitwaxesandwanes;joyandsorrow,partingandreunion.InChineseculture,thefamilyrepresentsanimportantcircleofrelationsthatcannotbebroken.Becausethefullmoonisroundandsymbolizesreunion,thefestivalisalsoknownasthefestivalofreunion.Allfamilymemberstrytogettogetheronthisspecialday.Itisahappyoccasionwherepeoplefeastonscrumptiousmooncakes.SomeChinesefamiliestodaystillstayuplatetoobservetheoccasioneatingmooncakes,sippingteaandgazingatthebeautifulmoon.Itisregardedtheperfectmomentifsomeonecatchesthemoon'sreflectioninthecenterofhisorherteacup.Thosewhocannotreturnhomewatchthebrightmoonlightandfeeldeeplongingfortheirlovedones.
