中秋节mid-autumn festival(0).doc

The customs of Mid-Autumn Festival The joyous Mid-Autumn Festival, the third and last festival for the living, was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon, around the time of the autumn equinox. Many referred to it simply as the Fifteenth of the Eighth Moon. On Mid-Autumn Festival, there are three kinds of celebration activities. The first kind concerns activities related to the moon. Such as offering sacrifices and paying homage to the moon, enjoying the moon and chasing the moon. The second kind is related to food. For instance, people will eat moon cakes and various kinds of fruits, and drink a kind of wine which is fermented with Osmanthus flowers to celebrate this special occasion. The third kind is related to making friends and activities. Such as exchanging presents, drinking with relatives and friends, making a walk or rowing a boat in the beautiful moonlight, and enjoying colorful lanterns all belong to this kind. This day was also considered a harvest festival since fruits, vegetables and grain had been harvested by this time and food was abundant. With delinquent accounts settled prior to the festival, it was a time for relaxation and celebration. Food offerings were placed on an altar set up in the courtyard. Apples, pears, peaches, grapes, pomegranates, melons, oranges and pomeloes might be seen. Special foods for the festival included moon cakes, cooked taro, (1). autumn equinox: 秋分又称八月中。二十四节气之一。每年约于公历9月23、24日太阳到达黄经180度时起，至太阳抵达黄经195度之前。狭义仅指开始时刻。此刻太阳在天球上由南而北经过赤道，正处秋季中点，天文学中把此黄道赤道交点称为秋分点，与春分点合称二分点。此日同春分一样，太阳光直射赤道，各地昼夜几乎等长。天文学上规定秋分为北半球秋季开始。月令七十二候集解：“秋分者，阴阳相半也，故昼夜均而寒暑平。”此后太阳光直射点移到南半球，北半球逐渐昼短夜长，长江流域气温迅速转凉。秋分前后是黄河以北冬小麦播种季节。农谚：“白露早、寒露迟，秋分种麦正当时。” （2）Osmanthus flowers：桂花，桂花的故乡在中国，它原产中国西南、中南地区，现在两广、湖北、四川、云南等省都有野生的桂树。桂花在我国的栽培历史已有2500多年了，早在春秋战国，我国人民就用桂花来酿制淳香可口的美酒，屈原在九歌中就有“奠桂酒兮椒浆”的吟哦。山川俊秀的桂林，就是因为那里的古人广植桂花树成林而得名的。（3）altar：供桌。寺庙、宗祠中放置在菩萨、神主牌位龛前，用以陈设供品的长形桌子。其大小、尺寸长短、式样要求，一般要与厅堂宽窄、菩萨塑像大小、神主牌位多少相配合。一般情况下，是长约1.52米，宽约7090厘米，高约1.2米的长方形。（4）taro：芋头。多年生草本植物，作一年生栽培，分棕芋、白芋、红芋、鸡窝芋、人头芋等多种。球茎和芋杆供食用。edible snails from the taro patches or rice paddies cooked with sweet basil, and water caltrop, 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, lotus seeds, almonds, minced meats, bean paste, orange peels and lard. A golden yolk 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 moon.The origin of customers 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.（5）snail： 蜗牛，又名土牛儿、天螺蛳。蜗牛性味咸，寒；有小毒。归膀胱、胃、大肠经。具有清热，镇惊，消肿，解毒的功能。（6）basil： 罗勒，又称罗艻、罗陵香，双子叶植物纲管花目唇形科罗勒属。多年生芳香草本或亚灌木，高5080厘米，茎枝四方形，多分枝，有白色长毛，常带紫色；叶对生，下面有腺点；花小，花冠白色或略带紫红色，主治风寒感冒、头痛、胃腹胀满、消化不良、胃痛、肠炎、腹泻、跌打损伤。其成熟果实称光明子，能明目。（7）caltrop：菱角。菱角（专入肠胃）。种类虽多。气滞则一。即书有言安中消水。止渴解酒。疗疟治痢。及有红泻白补。生降熟升之说。然亦止供食品。（9）Han：汉族，中国的主体民族。1990年人口104248万，占全国人口总数的91.96。 渊源据先秦文献记载的传说与夏、商、周立都范围，汉族的远古先民大体以西起陇山、东至泰山的黄河中、下游为活动地区。（10）Xia：夏，（前21世纪前16世纪）是我国阶级社会的开端，是我国历史上第一个奴隶制朝代。 （11）Shang: 商，（约公元前十六世纪到公元前十一世纪）。商朝是我国第二个奴隶制国家，也是我国奴隶制社会发展的时期。 （12）Zhou：公元前11世纪，周武王灭商后建立的奴隶制国家。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 popularThe custom of exchanging presents in Mid-Autumn Festival is very popular. On the festival, people will exchange presents, such as different kinds of moon cakes, fruits and other foods, to show their good faith and heartfelt thanks. Its also a good way to build closer relationships between people.People in different parts of China have different ways to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. For example, in Nanjing, people eat salty duck, its Chinese mane is 桂花鸭. Its a delicious food which is made of salt, osmanthus flowers and a young duck. In wujin of Jiangsu province, people eat sweetened taro, and in some places of Shanxi province, people eat “reunion steamed bread”. In Guangzhou in South China, a huge lantern show is a big attraction for local citizens. Thousands of differently shaped lanterns are lit, forming a fantastic contrast with the bright moonlight.（13）Tang： 唐朝，（618907）是中国古代一个最强大的封建王朝。（14）Song: 宋朝，（9601279）。公元960年，赵匡胤（宋太祖）代后周称帝，国号宋，定都开封（今属河南）史称北宋。北宋前期和中期，为宋最兴盛时期。（15）Ming: 明朝，是中国封建社会晚期的一个统一王朝。公元1368年建立，1644年灭亡，历十六帝，二百七十六年。（16）Qing：清朝，是满族贵族所建立的封建政权。满族的前身是定居在东北松辽平原一带的女真人。（17）salty duck:桂花鸭。桂花鸭是南京有名的特产，久负盛名，相传已飘香2500余年。此鸭皮白肉嫩、肥而不腻、香鲜味美，具有香、酥、嫩的特点。每年中秋前后的盐水鸭色味最佳，是因为鸭在桂花盛开季节制作的，故美名日：桂花鸭。白门食谱记载：“金陵八月时期，盐水鸭最著名，人人以为肉内有桂花香也。”In East Chinas Zhejiang Province, watching the flood tide of the Qian-tang River（钱塘江） during the Mid-Autumn Festival is not only a must for local people, but also an attraction for those from other parts of the country. The ebb and flow of tides coincide with the waxing and waning of the moon as it exerts a strong gravitational pull. In mid autumn, the sun, earth and moon send out strong gravitational forces upon the seas. The south of the Qian-tang River is shaped like a bugle. So the flood tide which forms at the narrow mouth is particularly impressive. Spectators crowd on the river bank, watching the roaring waves. At its peak, the tide rises as high as three and a half meters. Together with the celebration there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers and fire dragon dances. Whats more, in some places, people have their own special customs apart from the common practices, such as, in the area south of Mount Tai, its customary for parents to visit their daughters on that day.One special case is that in some areas in Ningbo of Zhejiang province, people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 16th, instead of the 15th day of the eight lunar months. Besides， Guangxi also has its special customs to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. As we all know, Guangxi abundant with osmanthus flowers, and its also known as 八桂之乡 .when Mid-Autumn Festival comes, some people will hang osmanthus in their house to avoid evil spirits. Whats even, they will make them into some delicious foods, such as, 桂花糕， 桂花酒，桂花菜。On that day, the people of Yao nationality will climb up to the tallest mountain to enjoy the moon, and they also predict their future according to the moon.(18)钱塘江大潮。八月十八潮，壮观天下无.这是宋代诗人苏东坡形容钱塘江大潮的名句。每年农历八月十八日前后，浙江省钱塘江上发生的大潮，其势雄伟壮观，堪称天下无匹，赢得厂多少人的赞美啊1钱塘江湖来势异常迅猛，乃是海水的一种。涌潮”现象。Being reunited on Mid-Autumn FestivalGenerally speaking, people always related a full moon with the reunited with their families and friends. For thousands of years, the Chinese people have related the vicissitudes of life to changes of the moon as it waxes and wanes; joy and sorrow, parting and reunion. Because the full moon is round and symbolizes reunion, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the festival of reunion. All family members try to get together on this special day. Those wh