Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival: From Ancient Legends to Historical Facts
Mid-Autumn Festival, or Children's Festival or Reunion Festival, is one of Vietnamese culture's most important traditional holidays. However, few people know that the origin of this memorable holiday is shrouded in the mists of time, with many different legends and hypotheses.
Legends about the Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival
Folklore has passed down many exciting stories about the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival. One of them is the legend of Hang Nga and Chu Cuoi. The story says that Hang Nga, Hau Nghe's wife, stole the immortality elixir and flew to the moon. Chu Cuoi, because of his greed for wanting to cut down the precious medicinal tree, was stuck on the moon with Hang Nga.
Another legend tells of Emperor Duong Minh Hoang walking on the moon on the night of the full moon of the eighth lunar month. The emperor got lost in a magnificent palace and was warmly welcomed by the fairies. After returning to earth, Emperor Duong Minh Hoang ordered the organization of the Mid-Autumn Festival to commemorate this magical excursion.
Historical Truth about the Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival
However, according to historical researchers, the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival may stem from the wet rice civilization of the ancient Vietnamese. During the harvest season, when the moon was full and brightest, people held a ceremony to thank the moon god for blessing them with a bountiful harvest.
The Mid-Autumn Festival may also have originated in China, where the full moon of the eighth lunar month has been considered an important festival since the Tang Dynasty. Over time, the Mid-Autumn Festival was introduced to Vietnam and gradually became an indispensable cultural beauty.
Meaning of Mid-Autumn Festival: Family Love and Children's Joy
The Mid-Autumn Festival carries profound humanistic meanings associated with family love and children's joy.
Reunion Festival - Connecting Love
True to its name, the Reunion Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival is an occasion for families to gather and sit together to enjoy mooncakes and fragrant tea and admire the full moon. This is a precious time for family members to share stories, confide, and cultivate affection.
Children's Festival - The World of Dreams
For children, the Mid-Autumn Festival is vibrant and colorful. Children get to parade with star lanterns, break the mooncake mold, watch lion dances, and receive meaningful gifts. Mid-Autumn Festival allows children to live in a world of dreams, joy, and innocence.
Cultural and Spiritual Significance
The Mid-Autumn Festival also carries profound cultural and spiritual significance. The image of the full moon symbolizes fullness, abundance, and happiness. The shimmering star lanterns and the vibrant lion dances express the aspiration for a prosperous and affluent life.
The Truth about Mid-Autumn Festival: Preserving and Promoting the Beauty of Traditional Culture
Today, the Vietnamese still preserve and promote the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, besides the traditional beauty, the Mid-Autumn Festival also faces challenges from the influx of foreign culture.
Preserving Traditional Values
To preserve the traditional values of the Mid-Autumn Festival, we need to:
- Teach the younger generation about the origin and meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
- Organize traditional cultural activities such as lantern parades, lion dances, and mooncake making.
- Prioritize the use of traditional products during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Combining Tradition and Modernity
Besides preserving, we must combine the beauty of tradition with modern elements to make the Mid-Autumn Festival more diverse and attractive.
- Create new and unique star lantern and mooncake designs.
- Organize fun and recreational activities suitable for young people.
- Apply technology to promote the Mid-Autumn Festival culture.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a precious cultural heritage of the Vietnamese people. Let's join hands to preserve and promote this traditional beauty so that the Mid-Autumn Festival will forever be meaningful, bringing everyone joy and happiness.