Stories behind the Moon: How Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival (3)

History

Associated with beautiful folklore, Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations date back more than 2,000 years. The word "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the ancient book Zhou Li (The Zhou Rituals, which detailed rituals in the Zhou Dynasty). In the old days, Chinese emperors chose the night of the 15th day of the eighth lunar month to hold a ceremony to praise the moon. The festival took its name from the fact that it's celebrated in the middle of autumn, and because at this time of year the moon is at its roundest and brightest.

It was not until the early Tang Dynasty (618-907) that the day was officially celebrated as a traditional festival. It became an established festival during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and became increasingly famous for the next few centuries, while more rituals and local food have been created to celebrate this festival.

More recently, the Chinese government listed the festival as an intangible cultural heritage in 2006, and it was made a public holiday in 2008.