zhōng qiū jié中秋节：wèi shén me为什么zhōng guó rén中国人yào要shǎng yuè赏月、chī吃yuè bǐng月饼？
Today is the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, which is also China’s traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.
When people talk about the Mid-Autumn Festival, many immediately think of three things: the moon, mooncakes, and family reunion.
Why do these things appear in the same festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls right in the middle of autumn, which is why it is called “Mid-Autumn.”
In the evening, if the weather is nice, people often look up and admire the moon.
In Chinese culture, the round moon easily reminds people of “reunion,” so the Mid-Autumn Festival gradually became a festival related to getting together with family.
Mooncakes are also connected with the idea of “roundness.”
Traditional mooncakes are mostly round. Families cut them up and share them together.
Mooncakes from different places have very different flavors, such as red bean paste, egg yolk, five-nut filling, and many newer flavors.
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, all kinds of mooncakes appear in shops and online.
In the past, people often admired the moon in their courtyards.
Today, the way people celebrate has changed a lot, but “reunion” is still one of the most important meanings of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Some people go home to eat with their parents. Others cannot go home, so they call or make video calls and say “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival” to their families.
Perhaps this is what makes the Mid-Autumn Festival special: no matter how far apart people are, they look up and see the same moon.