There is also a legend on the festival. It is said that:
There was once a devil down in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is called Ruhe. As long as it appeared, it brought a plague from which people got sick and died.
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. It is the time when families get together and enjoy their sweet home.
These is also a romantic, or a little tragic legend about this festival.
Story begins::
It is said that:
Once upon a time, there were ten suns rising in the sky, which scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi was worried about this. He ascended to the top of the Kunlun Mountain.
By using his superhuman strength, he drew his extraordinary bow and shot down nine of the ten suns. He also ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time.
For this reason, he was respected and loved by the people and lots of people of came to learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng Meng was one of them.
One day on his way to the Kunlun Mountain, Hou Yi came across the Empress of Heaven Wangmu who was passing by. Wangmu presented to him a parcel of elixir. It was said that by taking it, one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being.
Hou Yi, however, hated to part with Chang E, his beautiful and kindhearted wife. So he gave the parcel to Chang E to treasure. Unexpectedly, it was seen by Peng Meng.
One day when Hou Yi went hunting, Peng Meng, rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to hand over the elixir.
Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng, Chang E turned round to open her treasure box, took up the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp.
As soon as she swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground, dashed out of the window and flew towards heaven.
When Hou Yi returned home at dark, he knew from the maidservants what had happened. Overcome with grief, Hou Yi looked up into the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife.
Thinking of his wife day and night, Hou Yi then had an incense table arranged in the back garden that Chang E loved. Putting on the table sweetmeats and fresh fruits Chang E enjoyed most, Hou Yi held at a distance a memorial ceremony for Chang E who was sentimentally attached to him in the palace of the moon.
When people heard of the story, they arranged the incense table in the moonlight one after another and prayed kindhearted Chang E for good fortune and peace. From then on the custom of worshiping the moon spread among the people.
Story ends.
The moon looks extremely round, big and bright on the 15th day of each lunar month. People selected the August 15 to celebrate because it is a season when crops and fruits are all ripe and weather pleasant.
On Mid-Autumn Festival, we usually putting food on tables and look up at the sky and talk about the moon, the Chang E and others.
Several years passed on Earth, which were only a few days in heaven. Niu Lang and Zhi Nu lived happily and had two children.
However, the Queen of Heaven discovered Zhi Nu's absence. She was so annoyed and she had Zhi Nu brought back to heaven.
Niu Lang thought of his magical cow and put the cowhide on so that he was able to go after his wife with his two children.
Niu Lang was about to reach his wife when the Queen showed up and pulled off her hairpin to draw a line between the two. The line became the Silver River in heaven, or the Milky Way.
Zhi Nu missed her husband across the Silver River very much. Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River.
At night, raise your head and gaze at the stars, you will find something romantic going on in the sky.
Niu Lang and Zhi Nu will meet on a bridge of magpies across the Milky Way. Chinese grannies will remind children that they would not be able to see any magpies on that evening because all the magpies have left to form a bridge in the heavens with their wings.
Nowadays couples hang out at night and enjoy the romance brought by the romantic legend.
link: <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/08/content_359336.htm" target="_blank">http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/08/content_359336.htm</a>
It is said that Qu Yuan, a minister during the Zhou Dynasty, has closed relation to the origion of the festival.
Qu Yuan is a wise and articulate man. He was loved by the common people. However, the emperor didn't think highly of him. At last, Zhou Kingdom was defeated by Qin Kingdom. On hearing the news, he fell into despair and threw himself into the Milou River.
As he was so loved by the people, fishermen rushed out in long boats, beating drums to scare the fish away, and throwing zong zi into the water to feed braver fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan's body.
So we have "zong zi" and "dragon-boat racing" on the festival.
Zong zi is a glutinous rice ball, with a filling, wrapped in corn leaves. We eat it both for its delicious taste and in memory of Qu Yuan.
Dragon Boat races are the most exciting part of the festival. Dragon Boats are generally brightly painted and decorated canoes. Their heads are shaped like open-mouthed dragons. A drummer and flag-catcher stand in the front of the boat, with some peddle men sitting in a line. Races can have any number of boats competing, with the winner being the first team to grab a flag at the end of the course.
During the festival, children hang incense bags on the neck and parents hang special herb on the front door, both aimed to get rid of pests and evil spirits.
These are all that I know about Dragon Boat Festival. Hope that you enjoy it. ^_^
A few days before the new year's eve, people put New Year scrolls on the wall for good fortune. Houses are swept to welcome the new year. All kinds of traditional food are bought cause many shops are closed in the coming days.
On new year's eve, families get together and have a big meal. Dumplings and spring rolls are both popular. After dinner, people watch <font size="2">the CCTV spring festival evening party.
Traditionally, people, including childen, are supposed to stay up all night. Till midnight, people like to set off firecrackers. According to the ancient people, it is a means to scare away a beast called "nian"( "year" in Chinese ).
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People visit relatives and friends with the words "Happy new year!". People enjoy the Spring Festival, during which time they can have a good rest.
Children also like the festival very much. Firstly, they can have delicious food and wear new clothes. Secondly, they will have winter holliday during those days. Last but not least, they will get some money from the old. The money, which is wrapped in <font size="2">red packets, symbolizes fortune and wealth in the coming year.
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I love the Spring Festival cause I am allowed not to do any homework. ；P
(For more information, please check <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/3108.html?wtp=tt">http://baike.baidu.com/view/3108.html?wtp=tt</a> (Chinese)
The Lantern Festival is on the last day(15th) of the Spring Festival.
As the name suggests,we hang different lanterns in public places. There are beautiful and lovely patterns on them such as animals,ancient cartoons so on so forth. Parents,along with their kids,go out to see the lanterns at night.
We eat rice glue balls that day. A rice glue ball is something with round surface and fillings. The surface is made of sticky rice. The fillings can be meat,sesome,red beans,etc. Personally,I LOVE sesome ones. :P
There is also Lantern Festival Gala Evening on TV,but fewer peole watch it(compared with the Spring Festival Gala Evening ).
There must be other customs on this day,but few people takes them.
In a word,the Lantern Festival is a time everyone enjoys.
It is a festival to mourn the dead.
During Qingming, people drive to hills where tombs of the dead lie. People usually bring fruit, wine and something else to hold a memorial ceremony. Paper money, paper horse, or even paper house are also brought. People burn them and hope that the dead will receive them in the lower world.
There's something interesting. As fire is always caught on hills becouse of buring,special banks are built down the hills. Instead of burning paper on hills, people are allowed to burn it in the banks.
As a tomb can be dirty after a year, people will clean it when they are there. That's why we call the day "Tomb-Sweeping Day".</font>
The Lantern Festival is on the last day(15th) of the Spring Festival.
As the name suggests,we hang different lanterns in public places. There are beautiful and lovely patterns on them such as animals,ancient cartoons so on so forth. Parents,along with their kids,go out to see the lanterns at night.
We eat rice glue balls that day. A rice glue ball is something with round surface and fillings. The surface is made of sticky rice. The fillings can be meat,sesome,red beans,etc. Personally,I LOVE sesome ones. :P
There is also Lantern Festival Gala Evening on TV,but fewer peole watch it(compared with the Spring Festival Gala Evening ).
There must be other customs on this day,but few people takes them.
In a word,the Lantern Festival is a time everyone enjoys. ~
