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中秋節--Mid-Autumn Festi-1

中秋節--Mid-Autumn Festival
The 15th day of the 8th lunar month
The joyous Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon, around the time of the autumn equinox(秋分). Many referred to it simply as the "Fifteenth of the Eighth Moon".

This day was also considered as a harvest festival since fruits, vegetables and grain had been harvested by this time and food was abundant. Food offerings were placed on an altar set up in the courtyard. Apples, pears, peaches, grapes, pomegranates(石榴), melons, oranges and pomelos(柚子) might be seen. Special foods for the festival included moon cakes, cooked taro(芋頭)and water caltrope(菱角), a type of water chestnut resembling black buffalo horns. Some people insisted that cooked taro be included because at the time of creation, taro was the first food discovered at night in the moonlight. Of all these foods, it could not be omitted from the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The round moon cakes, measuring about three inches in diameter and one and a half inches in thickness, resembled Western fruitcakes in taste and consistency. These cakes were made with melon seeds(西瓜子), lotus seeds(蓮籽), almonds(杏仁), minced meats, bean paste, orange peels and lard(豬油). A golden yolk(蛋黃) from a salted duck egg was placed at the center of each cake, and the golden brown crust was decorated with symbols of the festival. Traditionally, thirteen moon cakes were piled in a pyramid to symbolize the thirteen moons of a "complete year," that is, twelve moons plus one intercalary(閏月的) moon.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festivity for both the Han and minority nationalities. The custom of worshipping the moon can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties (2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.). In the Zhou Dynasty(1066 B.C.-221 B.C.), people hold ceremonies to greet winter and worship the moon whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival sets in. It becomes very prevalent in the Tang Dynasty(618-907 A.D.) that people enjoy and worship the full moon. In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.), however, people send round moon cakes to their relatives as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion. When it becomes dark, they look up at the full silver moon or go sightseeing on lakes to celebrate the festival. Since the Ming (1368-1644 A.D. ) and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911A.D.), the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival celebration becomes unprecedented popular. Together with the celebration there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense(熏香), planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers and fire dragon dances. However, the custom of playing under the moon is not so popular as it used to be nowadays, but it is not less popular to enjoy the bright silver moon. Whenever the festival sets in, people will look up at the full silver moon, drinking wine to celebrate their happy life or thinking of their relatives and friends far from home, and extending all of their best wishes to them.

Moon Cakes

There is this story about the moon-cake. during the Yuan dynasty (A.D. 1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D. 960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to the foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Backed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attached and overthrew the government. Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend and was called the Moon Cake.

For generations, moon cakes have been made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus-seed paste or Chinese dates(棗子), wrapped in a pastry. Sometimes a cooked egg yolk can be found in the middle of the rich tasting dessert. People compare moon cakes to the plum pudding and fruit cakes which are served in the English holiday seasons.

Nowadays, there are hundreds varieties of moon cakes on sale a month before the arrival of Moon Festival.



中秋節又稱月夕、秋節、仲秋節、八月節、八月會、追月節、玩月節、拜月節、女兒節或團圓節,是流行於全國眾多民族中的傳統文化節日,時在農曆八月十五;因其恰值三秋之半,故名。據說此夜月球距地球最近,月亮最大顯圓最亮,所以從古至今都有飲宴賞月的習俗;回娘家的媳婦是日必返夫家,以寓圓滿、吉慶之意。也有些地方將中秋節定在八月十六,如寧波、臺州、舟山,這與方國珍佔據溫、臺、明三州時,為防範元朝官兵和朱元田的襲擊而改“正月十四為元宵、八月十六為中秋”有關。此外在香港,過了中秋興猶未盡,還要在十六夜再狂歡一次.名為“追月”。
   
    中秋起源
   
    中秋節是遠古天象崇拜——敬月習俗的遺痕。據《周禮?春官》記載,周代已有“中秋夜迎寒”、“中秋獻良裘”、“秋分夕月(拜月)”的活動;漢代,又在中秋或立秋之日敬老、養老,賜以雄粗餅。晉時亦有中秋賞月之舉,不過不太普遍;直到唐代將中秋與儲娥奔月、吳剛伐桂、玉兔搗藥、楊貴妃變月神、唐明皇遊月宮等神話故事結合起,使之充滿浪漫色彩,玩月之風方才大興。
    北宋,正式定八月十五為中秋節,並出現“小餅如嚼月,中有酥和飴”的節令食品。孟元老《東京夢華錄》說:“中秋夜,貴家結飾臺榭,民間爭占酒樓玩月”;而且“弦重鼎沸,近內延居民,深夜逢聞笙芋之聲,宛如雲外。間裏兒童,連宵婚戲;夜市駢闐,至於通曉。”吳自牧《夢梁錄》說:“此際金鳳薦爽,玉露生涼,丹桂香飄,銀蟾光滿。王孫公子,富家巨室,莫不登危樓,臨軒玩月,或開廣榭,玳筵羅列,琴瑟鏗鏘,酌酒高歌,以蔔竟夕之歡。至如鋪席之家,亦登小小月臺,安排家宴,團圍子女,以酬佳節。雖陋巷貧簍之人,解農市酒,勉強迎歡,不肯虛度。此夜天街賣買,直至五鼓,玩月遊人,婆婆於市,至燒不絕。”更有意思的是,《新編醉翁談錄》記述拜月之俗:“傾城人家子女不以貧富能自行至十二三,皆以成人之眼眼飾之,登樓或中庭焚香拜月,各有所朝;男則願早步蟾宮,高攀仙桂。…女則願貌似嫦娥,圓如皓月。”
    明清兩朝的賞月活動,盛行不衰。“其祭果餅必圓”;各家都要設“月光位”,在月出方向“向月供而拜”。陸啟泓《北京歲華記》載:“中秋夜,人家各置月宮符象,符上免如人立;陳瓜果於庭,餅面繪月宮蟾免;男女肅拜燒香,旦而焚之。”田汝成《西湖遊覽志餘》雲:“是夕,人家有賞月之宴,或攜柏湖船,沿遊徹曉。蘇堤之上,連袂踏歌,無異白日”;“民間以月餅相邀,取團圓之義”。富察敦崇《燕京歲時記》稱:“中秋月餅,以前門致美齋者為京都第一,他處不足食也。呈供月月餅到處皆有。大者尺餘,上繪月宮蠟兔之形。”“每屆中秋,府第朱門皆以月餅果品相饋贈。至十五月圓時,陳瓜果於庭以供月,並祀以毛豆、雞冠花。是時也,皓魄當空,彩雲初散,傳杯洗盞,兒女喧嘩,真所謂佳節也。唯供月時男子多不叩拜。”同時這五百多年中還推出“燒鬥香”、“走月亮”、“放天燈”、“樹中秋”、“點塔燈”、“舞火龍”、“曳石”、“賣兔兒爺”等節慶活動;其中的賞月,吃月餅、團圓飯等習俗,一直流傳到今天。
   
    中秋食俗
   
    古時漢族的中秋宴俗,以宮廷最為精雅。如明代宮廷時興吃螃蟹。螃蟹用蒲包蒸熟後,眾人圍坐品嘗,佐以酒醋。食畢飲蘇葉湯,並用之洗手。宴桌區周,擺滿鮮花、大石榴以及其他時鮮,演出中秋的神話戲曲。清宮多在某一院內向東放一架屏風,屏風兩側擱置雞冠花、毛豆技、芋頭、花生、蘿蔔、鮮藕。屏風前設一張八仙桌,上置一個特大的月餅,四周綴滿糕點和瓜果。祭月完畢,按皇家人口將月餅切作若干塊,每人象徵性地嘗一口,名曰“吃團圓餅”。清宮月餅之大,令人難以想像。像末代皇帝溥儀賞給總管內務大臣紹英的一個月餅,便是“徑約二尺許,重約二十斤”。
    我國有二十多個少數民族也過中秋節,但節俗各異。壯族習慣於在河中的竹排房上用米餅拜月,少女在水面放花燈,以測一生的幸福,並演唱優美的《請月姑》民歌。朝鮮族則用木杆和松枝高搭“望月架”,先請老人上架探月,然後點燃望月架,敲長鼓,吹洞蕭,一起合跳〈農家樂舞》。仡佬族在節前的“虎日”,全寨合宰一頭公牛,將牛心留到中秋夜祭祖靈,迎新穀,他們稱為“八月節”。侗族則在這時讓青年人郊遊、歡會,稱為“趕坪節”。第一天是蘆笙會,第二天對歌。小夥子都要化妝,向心上人表達情意。傣族是對空鳴放火槍,然後圍坐飲酒,品嘗狗肉湯鍋、豬肉乾巴、醃蛋和幹黃鱔,談笑望月。黎族稱中秋節為“八月會”或“調聲節”。屆時各集鎮舉行歌舞聚會,每村由一“調聲頭”(即領隊)率領男女青年參加。人員江齊後,大家互贈月餅、香糕、甜粑、花巾、彩扇和背心,成群結隊,川流不息。入夜便聚集在火旁,烤食野味,痛飲米酒,開展盛大的調聲對歌演唱,未婚青年趁機挑尋未來的伴侶。
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