各国如何庆祝中秋节 How the world celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival(中秋节), also known as Moon Festival, is a popular harvest festival celebrated(庆祝) by people in China and some other Asian countries(亚洲国家). It dates back more than 3,000 years to moon worshipping in China's Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC). In Malaysia and Singapore, it is also sometimes referred to as the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival.

The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, during a full moon(满月), which falls on September 24 this year.

Despite shared origin, it has developed different(不同的) customs(风俗) in different countries. Let's see how people celebrate it in different regions.

The picture taken on Sept 10, 2013, shows women in traditional costumes experience the making of songpyeon during the festival in Seoul. [Photo/IC]

Mid-Autumn Festival, known as Chuseok in the Republic of Korea, is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in the country celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit(拜访) their ancestral hometowns, share a feast(盛宴) of traditional food, such as songpyeon and rice wines, dance together or enjoy the moon.

A Sri Lankan Buddhist devotee prays at a temple in Palmadulla, Sri Lanka, Friday, Aug 31, 2012.  [Photo/IC]

Every month, Sri Lanka, the island nation of 19 million people shuts down for the full moon day. The mid-autumn day is especially grand with a national holiday and lots of disciples swarm into temples for sermons or moon worship.

A child stares at a large mooncake(月饼). [Photo/IC]

Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important holidays in China. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvest season on this day. Traditionally, on Mid-Autumn Day, Chinese 

family members and friends will get together to admire(欣赏) the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat mooncakes and pomeloes(柚子) together.

Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs, such as floating sky lanterns, guessing riddles on lanterns, enjoy wine or watch tides in seaside regions.

The picture shows silk lanterns(灯笼) portraying mythological characters lighting up the night sky of Singapore during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Aug 28, 2011. [Photo/IC]

As a country that has most ethnic Chinese, Singapore has attached great importance to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Galas(晚会) organized by commercial units are seen in many communities(团体). Besides the celebrations of eating mooncake, lighting lanterns, there are garden tours and dragon dances.

The picture shows a couple holding lanterns during Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sept 25, 2007. [Photo/IC]

Malaysia, a country that is home to multiple races, is another nation with heavy concentration of Chinese, about 25 percent of the total population. Local Chinese hold all kinds of celebrations, including enjoying moon, eating mooncakes and carrying lantern, on Mid-Autumn Festival.

The picture taken on Sept 19, 2013, shows people from DPRK standing together for a portrait next to family member's grave at a cemetery as they observe Chuseok, in Pyongyang. [Photo/IC]

Mid-Autumn Festival, or Chuseok, is one of the most important traditional festivals in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. On this day almost every family cooks songpyeons and share with each other. Some families also go to cemeteries(墓地) to honor the deceased relatives.

Children perform during the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Children's Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, Oct 2, 2009, a day ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival. [Photo/IC]

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also know as Moon Festival in Vietnam is a big day for children in the country as they can enjoy all kinds of mooncakes, watch beautiful lanterns and a variety of toys.

Unlike the Chinese, who eat mooncakes to celebrate the festival, the Japanese usually eat rice dumplings called Tsukimi dango. Besides, people dress in traditional costumes and go to temples to burn incense(烧香). [Photo/IC]

Mid-Autumn Festival is called Tsukimi or Otsukimi (literally means moon-viewing) in Japan. The Tsukimi custom originated from the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival as the tradition of the Chinese festival was introduced to Japan 1,000 years ago. 

词汇 Words:

[qìng zhù] 庆祝 celebrate
[bài fǎng] 拜访 visit
[guó jiā] 国家 country
[fēng sú] 风俗 customs
[shèng yàn] 盛宴 feast
[tuán tǐ] 团体 community

重点词汇 Key word:

如何 <代词 pron.> how; what; how/what about

• E.g. Nǐ jìnkuàng rúhé?
  你近况如何?
  How are things going with you?

• Xīngqísì rúhé?
  星期四如何?
  How about Thursday?